The Child of Time: Chosen
by Percyjacksonfan16
Summary: No one is like the son of Kronos. When Percy set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn't fooling around. Doubting him isn't something I'll do again. Meanwhile, the death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won't turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever. Book #4.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N-Hey guys! I'm Percyjacksonfan16 and welcome to the Child of Time: Chosen. This is the fourth fic in a series so if you want to actually understand what's going on, I highly suggest you read the last three fics. For you story vets out there, I tried to fill you in on the major points of the last fic in this chapter so you're somewhat caught up. Warning: Sally and Annabeth are EXTREMELY OOC right now. In due time, they will revert back to their original character. Disclaimer for this story is on my profile and that's all! Happy Reading!**

* * *

 **I wasn't sure what woke me**. The howling wind form the first hardcore blizzard of the year had calmed last night and my cabin was quiet. Peaceful. I rolled onto my side and blinked.

Eyes the color of a dark sky stared into mine. Eyes somewhat familiar but lackluster compared to the ones I loved.

 _Sally._

Clenching the blanket to my chest, I sat up slowly and pushed the tangled hair out of my face. Maybe I was still asleep, because I really had no idea why Sally, the mother of the boy I was madly, deeply, and quite possibly insanely in love with was perched on the edge of my bed.

"Um, is...is everything okay?" I cleared my throat, but the words came out raspy, like I was trying to sound sexy and, in my opinion, failing miserably.

Sally lowered her gaze. Thick, sooty lashes fanned the tips of high, angular cheeks that were paler than they should be. If I'd learned anything. Sally was damaged goods.

I glanced at the clock. It was close to six in the morning. "How did you get in here?"

"I let myself in." She responded. Her responses were always like that-brief, disembodied sentences. "You should lock your door."

With anyone else, that would've creeped the hell out of me, but I wasn't afraid of Sally. "I've never really thought to. You know, there's a magical border that keeps monsters out so I figured I was safe. Have you slept?"

She nodded. "I couldn't sleep. I haven't slept."

"At all?"

"No. Percy is affected by it." She just stared at me, as if willing me to understand what she couldn't put into words.

Percy-hell, everyone at camp _-_ -was coiled tight, waiting for his evil titan father, Kronos or at least Kronos' minon and my ex-friend, Luke to show up as the days ticked by since Sally escaped his evil clutches. She didn't 'escape' per say. She told us that Luke visited her in Tartarus and said that Kronos was letting her go. No strings attached. They blindfolded her, took her to Montauk beach, and she made her way to Camp Half-Blood.

That was it. But it shouldn't have been that easy-Kronos had to have a reason behind that. I wasn't the only trying figure Kronos' latest play either, his son was desperately trying to come up with a theory.

At the same time, Percy was trying to be there for his mom but he was wary. And though evil storm troopers and monsters hadn't busted into the camp yet, none of us were relaxed.

Everything was too easy, which usually didn't bode well.

Sometimes...sometimes I felt like a trap had been set, and we'd galloped right into it.

"What have you been doing?" I asked.

"Walking," she said, glancing out the window. "I never thought I'd be back here. Not here, as in camp. I mean, the outside world."

The stuff that Sally had been through was too horrific to even think about. She barely spoke about her sixteen years in Tartarus but she didn't need to. A deep ache filled my chest. For her and her son.

But Sally... she needed someone. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook his head again, strands of brown hair partially obscuring her eyes. Sally and Percy had similar-even identical features, but right now, they looked nothing alike, and it was more than the hair.

"You remind me of him-Paul."

I had no idea what to say to that. During her time in Tartarus, she encountered another mortal-Paul Blofish. Well, I should rephrase that-Sally wasn't in Tartarus the entire time. Occasionally, she was taken elsewhere-somewhere similar to a maze, she said. Paul was in that maze, at Kronos' will. He was a doctor and Kronos needed him to heal Luke who had been badly injured whilst undergoing a series of tests in order to host the titan lord's body. Paul wasn't clear sighted like Sally so he didn't see monsters in their true nature. After Luke was healed, Kronos left Paul in that maze to rot. Sally was taken back to Tartarus several times but when she was brought to the maze, she found Paul and somehow, they found hope within each other. That was about two years ago. For two years, they clung to each other and to that same hope.

Hope that they would both escape that living hell. But that didn't happen-Sally was freed and she had no idea whether Paul was still alive.

A shiver ran down my spine. If she loved him half as much as I loved Percy... "I'm sure he's alive, he has to be."

Sally's gaze met mine. A wealth of sadness and secrets were held in its depths. "I know, he's strong." She paused, lowering her head. "You...love my son?"

My chest hurt at the desolation in her voice, as if she never expected to love again if Paul was truly dead, couldn't really even believe in it anymore. "Yes."

"I'm sorry."

I jerked back, losing my grip on the blanket as it fell lower. "Why would you apologize?"

Sally lifted her head, letting out a weary sigh. Her eyes seemed to be lost in that past. "Paul used to have these marks-like wire cuts-when I saw him," Sally said quietly, her voice barely a whisper. "The monsters in that maze always seemed find him."

Nausea rose, and I swallowed.

"He couldn't see them, not without me at least, so every time I wasn't there..." Sally trembled. "Things were better when I was with him. The monsters were ordered not to hurt me so he was safe. For a some time, at least."

I gasped, my heart racing. Although her hands were shaking, her voice was steady. Sally was morose and distant. Besides talking to her son, from what I knew, she hadn't said a word to anyone else about Tartarus. Chiron, my mentor and camp director, thought it was best no one pushed for more.

Sally glanced down at her hands. "Percy... He loves you, too?"

I blinked, brought back to the present. "Yes. I think so."

"He told you?"

Not in so many words. "He hasn't _said it,_ said it. But I think he does."

"He should tell you. Every day." Sally tipped back her head and her closed eyes. "I haven't seen the snow in so long," she said, almost wistfully.

"I haven't seen it snow like this ever," I said, looking out the window. I had been a tree for six years so I hadn't seen too many seasons, and I'd gotten a couple of freak ice storms before but never the white, fluffy stuff.

A small, sad smile appeared on her lips. "When the sun comes up, it'll be beautiful. You'll see."

No doubt. Everything would be encased in white.

Sally stood up and quietly made her way to the door. A second later I felt warmth tingle along my neck and my heart rate pick up. She looked away. "My son is coming."

No more than ten seconds later, Percy was standing in the doorway of my cabin. Hair messy from sleep, flannel pajama bottoms rumpled. No shirt. Three feet of snow outside, and he was still half naked.

I almost rolled my eyes, but that would've required I take my eyes off his chest...and his stomach. he really needed to wear shirts more often.

Percy's gaze slipped from his mother to me and then back to his mother. "Are we having a slumber party? And I'm not invited?"

His mother drifted past him silently and disappeared into the night.

"Okay." Percy sighed. "That's been my life for the last couple of days."

My heart ached for him. "I'm sorry."

He sauntered over to the bed, his head cocked to the side. "Do I even want to know why my mother was in your cabin?"

"She couldn't sleep." I watched him bend down and tug the covers. Without realizing it, I'd grabbed them again. Percy pulled once more, and I easily let them go. "She said it was bothering you."

Percy slipped under the covers. easing onto his side and facing me. "I've been sleeping in the Big house with her. She gets...nightmares. Sometimes, I don't notice when she's gone."

The bed was way too small with him in it. Five months ago I would've run laughing into the hills if someone said the hottest, _moodiest_ boy in history would be in my bed. But a lot had changed.

"I know," I said, settling on my side so that we were face-to-face. My gaze flickered over his broad cheekbones, full lip, and those extraordinarily bright gold eyes. Percy was beautiful but prickly, like a Christmas cactus. It had taken a lot for us to get to this point, being in the same room with each other and not overcome by the urge to commit first-degree murder. Percy had to prove his feelings for me were real and he did finally. He hadn't been the nicest person when we first met, and he had to really make up for that. Momma didn't raise a pushover. "She said I remind her of Paul."

"She seems to talk you about a lot of things." He looked down at his hands as if they were going to give him answer. "She doesn't talk to me as much."

"Percy, it's not like that..." I started but he chuckled and waved a hand in the air, a smug grin was plastered on his face.

"Honestly, as much as I love my mom, I'm not sure how I feel about her hanging out in your cabin. I want you all to myself." He reached out with a muscular arm and used his fingers to brush a few strands of hair off my cheek, tucking them behind my ear. I shivered, and he smiled. "I feel like I need to mark my territory."

"Shut up."

"Oh, I love it when you get all bossy-pants. It's sexy."

"You're incorrigible." I closed my eyes.

A moment of silence passed before I opened my eyes, finding Percy hadn't taken his off me. "About Sally…"

"I don't know what to do." he admitted, trailing the back of his knuckles down my throat, over the swell of my chest. My breath caught. "She barely talks to me. Most of the time, she stays in the Big House or out wandering in the woods. I follow her, and she knows." Percy's hand found its way to my hip and stayed.

"She needs time, right?" I kissed the tip of his nose and pulled back. "She's been through a lot, Percy."

His fingers tightened. "I know. Anyway…" Percy shifted so fast I didn't realize what he was doing until he'd rolled me onto my back and hovered above me, hands braced on either side of my face. "I've been remiss in my duties.

And just like that, everything that was going on, all our worries, fears, and unanswered questions, simply faded into nothing. Percy had that kind of effect. I stared up at him, finding it hard to breathe. I wasn't 100 percent on what his "duties" were, but I had a very vivid imagination.

"I haven't spent a lot of time with you." He pressed his lips against my right temple and then my left. "But that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about you."

My heart leaped into my throat. "I know you've been occupied."

"Do you?" His lips drifted over the arch of my brow. When I nodded, he shifted, supporting most of his weight on one elbow. He caught my chin with his free hand, tipping my head back. His eyes searched mine. "How are you doing?"

Using every ounce of self-control I had, I focused on what he was saying. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

Percy nodded and brought his lips to mine. This kiss was sweet and soft, and I felt it in every part of me. "I can't help it." His mouth was on mine again, taking it deeper and longer.

"Well, help it." I placed my hands on his smooth cheeks. "I'm okay. And we have enough things to worry about than me. In the big scheme of things, I'm nowhere near the top of the list."

He arched a brow and wow, I did sound kind of uber-mature. I giggled at his expression, ruining my newly discovered maturity. "I have missed you," I admitted.

"I know. You can't live without me."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Just admit it."

"There you go. That ego of yours getting in the way," I teased.

His lips found the underside of my jaw. "Of what?"

"The perfect package."

He snorted. "Let me tell you, I have the perfect-"

"Don't be gross." I shivered, though, because when he kissed the hollow of my throat, there was nothing flawed about that.

I would never tell him this, but beside the… _pricklier_ side of him that reared its ugly head from time to time, he was the closest thing to perfect I'd ever met.

With a knowing chuckle that had me squirming, he slid his hand down my arm, over my waist, and caught my thigh, hooking my leg around his hip. "You have such a dirty mind. I was going to say I'm perfect in all the ways that count."

Laughing, I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Sure you are. Completely innocent, you are."

"Oh, I've never claimed to be _that_ nice." The lower part of his body sank into mine, and I sucked in a sharp breath. "I'm more-"

"Naughty?" I pressed my face into his neck and inhaled deeply. He always had this outdoorsy scent, like fresh leaves and spice. "Yeah, I know but you're nice under the naughty. That's why I love you."

A shudder retired through him, and then Percy froze. A stuttered heartbeat passed and he rolled onto his side, wrapping his arms around me tightly. SO tightly I had to wiggle a little to life my head.

"Percy?"

"It's okay." His voice thick, he kissed my forehead. "I'm okay. It's… early still. Just for a little while we can pretend that crazy doesn't wait for us. We can sleep in, like normal teenagers."

Like normal teenagers. "I like the sound of that."

"Me, too."

"Me, three." I murmured, snuggling against him until we were practically one. I could feel his heart beating in tandem with mine. Perfect. This was what we needed-quiet moments of being normal. Where it was just Percy and me.

"We still haven't talked about it, you know." He couldn't meet my eyes but I knew what he meant.

Last week, Percy had basically hijacked my inheritance. Well, technically it was a prophecy that was meant for the oldest child of the three most powerful gods. So far, they were only three kids from those gods that we knew of. I was the oldest, a daughter of Zeus, the king of all gods and lord of the skies. The second oldest was Percy, a son of Poseidon, the lord of the sea. Well, he was partially his son. The youngest was Nico, a son of Hades, lord of the dead and Underworld. This so-called 'Great Prophecy' was supposed to foretell my destiny and whether I would save or destroy Olympus.

A lot of information, I know.

Anyway, as I mentioned before, Percy was only partially related to Poseidon. His other dad was Kronos, the evil titan of time. Although it seemed impossible to have three different sets of DNA-it happened. While Sally and Poseidon were...procreating, Kronos temporarily possessed the sea god and Percy was a product of a strange threesome.

Like I said before, Kronos always has a reason for doing anything. He chose Sally and Poseidon specifically because Poseidon was one of the strongest gods, a trait he would certainly pass onto his offspring. You see, Percy and I were half-bloods-half god and half mortal. Percy was also half-titan but his godly side is what Kronos is depending on for a proper host. Eons ago, my father and his siblings chopped Kronos in pieces but now he is back and needs a host. A host that won't burn away when the titan takes over.

Something durable, like a god. Therefore, a child who is half-god and half-titan should be durable enough to sustain an evil titan.

Long info dump over, back to the situation at hand. I was attempting to convey that Percy was also the son of Kronos so he had powers over time. He could freeze people or objects in time just by holding up his hands. He always knew the time, right down to the milisecond. This power was especially handy in the Lotus Casino, a hotel he had taken me to on my sixteenth birthday. Sixteen also happened to be the age that the child of the prophecy would be when they decided the fate of Olympus. Knowing this, Percy had taken me to that hotel, where time literally stopped. Being the son of Kronos, he was immune to its effect and unlike me, was able to walk out and turn sixteen. I stayed inside and was still fifteen for a few hours.

The next day, he picked me up and I honestly believed I was still older but that all that changed at the counselor meeting. You see, the gods noticed that doomsday hadn't occurred on my birthday so they decided I need to read the prophecy for some sort of clarification. I went to see the oracle and she turned me away, stating that the prophecy was no longer mine. Lo and behold, when Percy spoke with the oracle, the prophecy was his.

At the time, I was angry but there wasn't much time to talk since Sally just walked in, back from her sixteen year vacation in hell.

"Are you done with your long explanation?" Percy asked, flustered. "I mean, they could just go back and read the last book."

"I have no idea what you're talking about-I just wanted to refresh their memories." I chuckled then sighed. "Percy...there's nothing to talk about. You took my prophecy and now you'll have to square up with an evil titan lord. You can't protect me from everything and this wasn't your burden to bear."

"Yes, it was," Percy's jaw was set, his arms stiff around me. "I allied myself with the gods to defeat Kronos. I became an assassin to train and find any information about him. You see what he's done to my mother, it's personal now. Even if I hadn't taken you to the hotel, I would've still tried to kill him. I have to."

"And you might die," My hands shook as I glanced at him. His eyes were cold, calculating. "He's an ancient, evil titan lord. You are the only child he hasn't digested! I've seen you do _amazing_ things but you can't go up against him. He's too powerful."

"But you could?"

"Yes, but I would die too." My voice was hollow. "That's how I know what's going to happen to you. Usually, you tend to have a sense of self preservation but when it comes to Kronos, you'll do anything to kill him...even if it means dying."

He said nothing. Did nothing reassure me or at least give me some false hope.

I smiled sadly, pulling away from him. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Thalia, I-"

"Don't. Seriously." I cut him off, sighing. "I'm over it, Percy. Have fun with the doomsday prophecy. I just wished you'd told me before you did it."

He raised a brow, skeptical. "I did tell you-I told you I'd fix it. Remember? On Olympus?"

"Wow." I breathed. "How was I supposed to know that was code for 'hey I'm going to take you to a hotel that stops time so that I can steal your prophecy. K? Thanks'"

"Well, context clues never hurt." He chuckled then reached for my hand. "I'm sorry, Thalia. I really am but I'd do it again if I had to."

"I know. You're forgiven." I threw him look. "But try that again and I'll-"

"Shank me?" He finished, grinning. "Because I'd like that."

"I'm this close to sending massive volts of electricity throughout your body."

"Sweetheart, I love it when you talk kinky."

"Shut up, Jackson." I buried my head in the crook of his neck, slipping my hand over his chest. "Goodnight, Percy."

"Goodnight, Thalia."

* * *

The next morning, Percy and I woke up to chaos.

Outside my window, campers scampered around, yelling incoherent phrases at one another. Percy was now up and alert, opening the door.

Beckendorf, a son of Hephaestus, ran up to my cabin, breathless.

"Hey, I need to check your cabin." He wheezed, out of breath.

"Why? What's going?" I asked while Percy let him in.

Beckendorf didn't respond, he swept his gaze across the cabin, checked the bathroom and closet before turning his attention to us. "There's an intruder in camp."

And with that, the demigod disappeared into the chaos.

"Monsters?" I looked at Percy, head tilted. "If so, who invited them in?"

"Maybe. I have no idea." He looked at the door then back at me. "I have to find my mom."

I blinked. "Of course, I'll help you look for her."

"Already taken care of." Another voice rang and I sucked in a sharp breath.

Annabeth.

The daughter of Athena glanced at Percy distastefully. "She was wandering in the woods-you really should keep a closer eye on her. She's in the Big House."

"Thank you." Percy's voice was a whisper.

The blonde turned toward me, gray eyes softening. "There's a meeting in five. Chiron's wants the both of you there."

"We'll be there," I said. "Be careful."

"You too." She pivoted, leaving us alone.

I took one step forward, trying to go after her but Percy laid a hand on my shoulder.

"She still needs time. We owe her that much."

I bit my lip, shaking my head. "It's not fair. She hates you. She _really_ hates you for something you didn't do."

He didn't respond.

There was no proper response for what I'd done. I was the reason Annabeth needed time. Two weeks ago, I killed her boyfriend, Lee, attempting to aim for Luke. Someone who actually deserved to die. But things went so wrong and Percy took the fall for me, causing his best friend to loathe him. And I felt so, so incredibly guilty and I didn't know how to fix it.

I slipped past Percy and towards the Big House. A moment later, he was behind me, trying to weave through the mass of campers. When I entered the house, the demigod counselors were perched on the tennis table, few of them opting to sit in a chair.

Percy left my side and walked over to the other side of the room where his mom was talking to Clarisse, a daughter of Ares. I glanced at the front of the room where my mentor stood, a look of worry on his face.

"Campers," He called us to attention and the room became silent.

Annabeth crept up beside me and together we stood, listening.

"The rumors are true: there is an intruder in camp half-blood. As you all know, the magical border that surrounds this camp is enchanted to keep monsters out. This intruder is no monster as they were able to pass the border."

"Then how do we know it's an intruder?" Michael Yew asked. "Maybe it's half blood that got lost or something."

"I wish it were so, my dear." Chiron looked down, a solemn expression masked his true emotions. "The intruder is a half-blood, that much we do know. We know that their intent is malicious because they killed Peleus, the dragon that protects the fleece."

A gasp rang throughout the room.

"We need to find this half blood and do so without raising any more attention." The centaur gestured to the window, pointing out the chaos that had ensued.

"What if they're gone by now?" Silena's bright sapphire eyes slid across the room. "Maybe this person has gotten whatever they want and they've gone. That's a possibility, right?"

"An unlikely one." Percy voiced, stepping forward. "They've killed a dragon-that shows they're not below killing. They could be here to murder someone."

"And what would do next, Percy? If you were this intruder and everyone was after you?"

The son of Poseidon and Kronos cocked his head, contemplating Chiron's question before answering. "Do whatever I came to do. And by the looks of it, this person is willing to kill anyone in their way. In the interim, I'd hide. This person obviously knows their way around camp if we still haven't found him."

"Are you saying that this could be former camper?" Chiron's voice was thick, filled with emotion.

Percy leveled his eyes with his half brother's. "Yes, that's what I'm saying.

"Luke. I felt his presence lately-he's here but he's...he's different."

My head whipped toward the voice, eyes wide.

Well, everyone pretty much looked at Sally, since that was the first time she'd spoken more than two words.

"Different how?" Annabeth questioned.

"Like Kronos," Her voice cracked. "As if it he were Kronos."

"That's not possible, right?" Beckendorf looked towards Chiron. "Kronos doesn't have a body, right? So it can't be him."

"Luke may have already merged with the titan lord for all we now." My mentor said and the room became deadly silent.

"Well then we have to kill him before he kills us." Annabeth said, voice shaking as her eyes darkened, filled with fury. "There's more of us than him."

Oh, no. My stomach sank.

"Annabeth," Percy said, stepping forward. "I know-"

"Don't 'I know, Annabeth' me." Her lower lip trembled. Her gaze shook me to the core and it felt like a kick in the stomach. "You lost that privilege two weeks ago when you murdered my boyfriend."

Percy reacted as though she had hit him with her words, he stilled and said nothing.

"Lee wouldn't have wanted that," Silena said quietly, sitting back against her chair. "More deaths. He was a pacifist."

"Too bad we can't ask him how he really feels about it, isn't it?" Annabeth's spine stiffened, as though she was forcing herself to bite out her next words. "He's dead."

Apologies bubbled up in my throat, but before they could break free, Chiron spoke. "No one is killing anybody. Annabeth, Lee's death wasn't Percy's fault. It was an accident."

"Then whose is it?" Annabeth's gaze met mine. "You were there and you didn't stop him. So is it your fault?"

I sucked in a sharp breath. "Yeah, it is."

Percy's body went rigid, and then, always the referee, Chiron jumped in. "All right, that's enough. Fighting and casting blame isn't helping anyone."

"It makes me feel better," Annabeth muttered, closing her eyes.

I blinked back tears and sighed, frustrated that I was even close to crying because I didn't own the right to those tears.

"Right now, we need to get along." Chiron went on. "All of us, because we have lost too much already."

There was a pause and then, "I'm going after Paul."

Everyone in the room turned to Sally again. Not a single thing had changed in her expression. Not emotion. Nothing. And then everyone started talking at once.

Percy's voice boomed over the chaos. "Absolutely not, Mom-no way."

"It's too dangerous." Annabeth said, clasping her hands together. "You'll get captured."

Sally's expression remained blank, like nothing her own son or anyone had said made any difference to her. "I have to get him back. I'm sorry."

It looked like a dumbfounded stick had smacked Silena in the face. I probably looked the same. "She's insane," the daughter of Aphrodite whispered. "Freaking insane."

Sally shrugged.

Chiron leaned forward. "Sally, I know, we all know, that Paul means a lot to you, but there's no way you can get him. Not until we know what we're dealing with."

Emotion built up Sally's eyes, turning them forest green. Anger, I realized. The first emotion I'd seen from Sally was anger. "I know what I'm dealing with. And I know that he'll die in there if I don't save him."

Prowling forward, Percy stopped in front of his mother, legs apart, arms crossed again, ready for battle. Standing together like that, it was surreal seeing them. Sally had a small frame but she stood in the same stance.

"I cannot allow you to do that," Percy said, voice so low I barely heard him. "I know you don't want to hear that, but no way."

Sally didn't budge. "You don't have a say over it."

At least they were talking. That was a good thing, right?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Annabeth moving toward them, but Micheal Yew reached out, catching her hand and stopping her. I noticed she had a strange attachment to Sally. You'd think that she'd wouldn't pay much mind to her-maybe even hate the mortal-after what her son had supposedly done but I think Annabeth felt compelled to help her. To help Sally find the man she loved before it was too late.

Maybe Annabeth was trying to save another possible victim. Another Lee.

"I'm not trying to control you, Mom. It's not about that, but you just got back from hell. I just got _you_ back."

"I'm still in hell." Sally replied. "And if you get in my way, I will drag you down with me."

A look of pain shot across Percy's face. "Mom…"

I jumped to my feet, reacting to Percy's response without thinking. An unknown urge propelled me to do so. I guess that urge was love, because I didn't like the pain flickering across his face.

A wind blew through the room, stirring the curtains and flipping the pages of books and magazines. I felt the everyone's eyes on me and their surprise, but I was focused.

"All right, you two." I took a breath. "Knock it off, I'll kick both of your asses. No offense, Sally."

"None taken." The woman replied, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

Now everyone was staring at me. "What?" I demanded, cheeks flushing.

A slow, wry smile teased Percy's lips. "Simmer down, Sweetheart. I mean, I'm all for you being bad ass and all but there's a time and place."

Annoyance flared deep inside me. "Don't start with me, jerk-face."

He smirked as he focused on his mother.

Beside him, Sally looked sort of..amused. Or in pain-one of the two, because she really wasn't smiling or frowning. But then, without saying a word, she stalked out of the room, the front door slamming shut behind her.

Percy glanced at me, and I nodded. Sighing deeply, he followed his mother, because there really was no telling what Sally would do or where she would go.

The demigod Kumbaya fell apart after that. I followed them to the door, my attention fixed on a lot of things, and then I had to try to explain myself. Forgiveness wasn't expected, but I need to try to talk.

I clenched the door knob until my knuckles bleached. "Annabeth…?"

And with that, the front door tore free from my hands and swung shut.

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 **A/N-As usual, this fic is in first person, Thalia's POV and it will remain so until the next fic and I'm thinking first person but switched between Percy and Thalia, kind of like in the HoO series. If you guys have any questions, please check out my FAQs on my profile to see if its been answered already and if not, leave a review on any of my fics or PM the question(s) and I will get back to you on that.**

 **Updates are weekly, on Saturdays. Sometimes I may update twice a week and if I do so, then it will be Tuesday and Saturday. Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N-Hey! For all you newbies, I just wanted to let y'all know that my chapters can be quite long depending on the content. I think the shortest chapter I did in the last fic for this series was 2k+ words. That was chapter 6 and it was a filler because the chapter before that was 16k words so there's that. I'm not even going to bother telling you guys if it's long anymore, I'll tell y'all if it's more than 10k. Um, this chapter is more than 11k words. There's your warning. All I'm saying is carve some time out when you see an update. That's all and happy reading!**

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 **Color me surprised when Percy swung by early Saturday evening and wanted to go out.** Like, brave snow-slick roads and do something normal. A date. As if we had the luxury of doing such a thing. And I couldn't help but remember what he sad to me when I'd been in his bed and so ready to give him the go-ahead.

He'd wanted to do things right. Dates. Movies.

Chiron was currently on Sally-babysitting duty, and Percy felt confident to leave him with her.

I dug out a pair of dark denim jeans and a red turtle neck. Taking a few extra minutes with my makeup, I then walked to the top of half blood hill.

Percy was waiting by my tree, a pair of keys in his hand. He threw the object in the air and caught it a few times.

"Hey." I greeted, leaning against my tree.

"Hey yourself." He caught the keys in mid air and began walking down the hill.

"So you're driving the camp van?" I asked, frowning when we passed the van and headed towards Montauk beach.

"Nope," Percy popped the 'p', taking a slight turn. "I have a car."

"Since when?" I caught up to him, catching the amused look in his eyes.

"Since I needed a car." He replied curtly then stopped at the edge of the sand, near a small road. At the end of the road was a black mustang.

I tilted my head, nodding with approval. Not bad. "With what money?"

"My own." He threw me a wink and opened the passenger door for me. "There are some people in the world who'd like to see certain people dead. For a good price, I'll do it for them."

"Oh." I pursed my lip and closed the door while Percy walked over to the driver's side.

Once inside the comfy interior of the car, he kicked on the heat and slid me a grin. "Okay. There are some rules about our date."

My brows rose. "They are?"

"Yep." He eased the car around and started down the road, careful to avoid the thick patches of black ice. "Rule number one is we don't talk about anything godly related."

"Okay." I bit down on my lip.

He glanced at me sideways, as if he knew I was fighting a stupid love-struck groin. "Rule number two is that we don't talk about Sally or the intruder-possibly Luke. And numero three, we focus on my awesomeness."

Okay. No fighting my grin. It spread ear to ear. "I think I can deal with these rules."

"You better, because there is a punishment for breaking the rules."

"And what kind of punishment would that be?"

He chuckled. "Probably the sort of punishment you'd enjoy."

Warmth infused my cheeks and veins. I chose not to respond to that statement. Instead, I reached for the radio station at the same time Percy did. Our fingers brushed and static race down my arm, spreading to his skin. I jerked back, and he laughed again, but the sound was husky and deep.

Percy settled on a rock station but kept the volume low. The trip to town was uneventful but fun..because for once, nothing crazy happened. He picked out an Italian restaurant, and we were seated at a small table lit by flickering candles I glanced around. None of the other tables had candles. They were covered with cheesy red-and white-checkered mats.

But our wooden table was bare except for those candles and two wineglasses filled with water. Even the napkins looked like real linen.

Considering the possibilities as we were seated, my heart did a flip-flop. "Did you…?"

He propped his elbows on the table and leaned forward. Soft shadows danced over his face, highlighting the arch of his cheekbones and the cure of his lips. "Did I do what?"

"Arrange this?" I waved at the candles.

Percy shrugged. "Maybe…"

I tucked my hair back, smiling. 'Thank you. It's very…"

"Awesome?"

I laughed. "Romantic-it's very romantic. And awesome, too."

"As long as you think it is awesome, then it was worth it." He glanced up as the waitress arrived at our table. Her name tag read ELENA.

When she turned to take Percy's order, her eyes glazed over-a common side effect of being around Mr. Awesome, I was learning. "And what about you, sweetie?"

"Spaghetti with meat sauce," I said, closing the menu and handing it over.

Elena glanced at Percy, and I think she might have sighed. "I'll bring your breadsticks out immediately."

After we were alone. I grinned at my date. "I think we're going to get extra meatballs."

He laughed. "Hey, I'm good for some things."

"You're good for a lot of things." The moment that lefty mouth, I blushed. Whoa. That could be perceived in many ways.

Surprisingly. Percy let it slide and started teasing me about a album he'd seen in my bedroom. Its album cover was...questionable. Typical barrel-chested alpha male cover model with sixteen-pack abs. By the time our _heaping_ pile of breadsticks arrived, I'd almost convinced him that he'd be a perfect cover model for one of those rock albums.

"I don't wear leather pants," he said, biting into the garlicky and buttery goodness.

And that was a damn shame. "Still. You have the look."

He rolled his eyes. "You just like me for my body. Admit it."

"Well yeah…"

His lashes lifted and his eyes glittered like jewels. "I feel like man-candy."

I busted out laughing. But then he asked a question I hadn't expected. "What are you going to do about high school?

I blinked. Highschool? Sitting back, my gaze dropped to the small flame. "What do you mean? I stay at camp year-around."

"You just broke a rule," he reminded me, lips forming half smile.

I rolled my eyes. "What about you? What are you doing for high school?"

He shrugged. "Depends on what you're doing."

"Um..." I blanked, unsure of what he meant. I mean, I knew what he meant but I honestly wasn't planning to go school in the mortal world. Something would go wrong-that was the half blood life.

Our meal arrived, staving off the conversation while the waitress grated cheese over Percy's plate. She eventually offered me some. And the moment she left, I pounced. "So, you'd be willing to go to school if I wanted to?"

"Sure. I mean, I was thinking that I might want to settle down and all. My mom can't stay at camp forever and once she is actually somewhat sane, I was thinking we would move into some place in the city." He leaned in and lowered his voice. "It's kind of been one of my dreams or whatever. It's something I've always wanted to do once I got my mom back. It's...stupid, I know."

My heart skipped a beat. "No, it's not. You deserve to see that dream become a reality."

"Well, it's not really working out the way I imagined." He leaned back and picked up his knife and fork, cutting into a piece of lasagna the size of a truck. "There's a small lake house in upstate New York, a few miles away from camp. There's a school-Goode High and it's rated one of the best in the area."

"Wow, you really put some thought into this." I was floored. I think he was trying to not to show too much interest in this but I could tell this is something he really wanted. "Well, I can't promise you I'll go to school but I'd be willing to check it out."

"Spring semester is starting shortly. There's an orientation for new/transfer students coming up." He cut his meal into tiny bites. Percy had such delicate eating habits, while I was slopping my spaghetti around my plate.

"Okay." I tried to eat my spaghetti in daintier bites. "And if I don't like it and decide to stay at camp?"

"That's fine too...I just wanted you there." He peered up through sooty lashes.

Staring at him, I forgot about the food. Was he getting at what I thought he was getting at? I didn't want to jump to conclusions, and I was too afraid to ask, because he could be suggesting that he wanted me in his life. Daily. And of course, I wanted to be with him but I told him that. I knew that I was important to him but I wasn't sure _how_ important. _He's never said he loves you,_ an insidious and annoying voice whispered. _Not even after you've said it._

Ah, the stupid voice had a point.

Out of nowhere, a breadstick tapped the tip of my nose. My head jerked up. Sprinkles of garlic salt rained down.

Percy held the stick between two fingers, brows arched. "What were you just thinking about?"

I brushed off the crumbs. A pitching sensation filled me stomach, and I forced a smile. "I…I think high school sounds nice."

 _Liar_ said his expression, but he wet back to his food. Strained silence descended between us, which was a first. I forced myself to enjoy the food, and the funniest thing happened. With Percy's light teasing and the conversation turning to different subjects, like his previous quests, I was having fun again.

"Okay, so you got turned into a guinea pig?" I asked, chasing the last of my noodles.

He cleared his plate, setback, and sipped from his glass. "Yep, it wasn't one of my best looks."

Amusement flickered through me. "You don't say. What color were you?"

"Black fur, buck teeth." He grinned.

Elena appeared with our check, and I was reluctant to leave. The whole date thing was a way too brief moment of normalcy both of us had been sorely lacking. As we headed to the front of the restaurant, I wanted to grab his hand and wrap my fingers around his, but I refrained. Percy did a lot of crazy things in public, but hand-holding?

So didn't seem up his alley.

There were a couple of kids from camp seated by the door. Their eyes got all saucer-sized when they saw us. Considering Percy and I had this hate-hate relationship for most of the year, I could understand their surprise.

It had started to flurry while we were inside and a thin coating of snow covered the parking lot and cars. The white stuff was still coming down. Stopping by the passenger side. I tipped my head back and opened my mouth, catching a tiny flake on the tip of my tongue.

Percy's eyes narrowed on me and the intensity in his gaze caused a nervous fluttering low in my stomach. An urge to go forward, cross the distance between us hit me hard, but I couldn't move. My feet were rooted to the ground and the air expelled from my lungs.

"What?" I whispered.

His lips parted. "I was thinking about a movie."

"Okay." I felt hot even though it snowed. "And?"

"But you've broken the rules, Sweetheart. Several times. You're owed some punishment."

My heart jumped. "I _am_ a rule breaker."

His lips tilted up on one corner. "You are."

Moving lightning fast, Percy was in front of me before I could say another word, cupping my cheeks, tilting my head back as he lowered his. Lips brushed against mine, sending a shiver down my spine. The initial touch was feather soft, heartbreakingly tender. Then the contact evolved with the second sweep of his lips and mine parted, welcoming him.

I could get used to this form of punishment.

Percy's hands slid down to my hips, and he pulled me against him at the same time we were moving backward, stopping when my back pressed against the cool, damp metal of his car-hopefully his car. I doubted someone would want a couple doing what we were doing on their vehicle.

Because we were kissing, really kissing, and there wasn't a centimeter of space between our bodies. My arms found their way around his neck, fingers sliding through silky locks covered in light snow. We fit everywhere it was important.

"Movie?" he murmured, kissing me again. "And then what, Sweetheart?"

I couldn't think around how he tasted and felt. How my heart was jackhammering as his fingers slid under my turtleneck, splaying along my bare skin. And I wanted to be bare-completely and only with him, always him. He knew what the "and then what" was. Doing things right…and dear gods, I wanted to do those right things right now.

Since I couldn't get my mouth to work between his drugging kisses, I opted to do the show-not-tell thing, sliding my hands down to his jean-clad hips. Hooking my fingers in the belt hoop, I tugged him against me.

Percy growled, and my pulse pounded. Oh yeah, he got it. His hand slid up, fingertips brushing against lace and-

His cell phone went off in his pocket, shrilling as loud as a fire alarm. I thought for a tiny instant he was going to ignore it, but he pulled back, panting."Uno momento."

He kissed me quickly, keeping one hand where it was while he dug out his phone. Technically, half bloods weren't supposed to use phones-it attracted monsters like crazy but Percy carried a burner phone for emergencies. As soon as the call was done, he would chunk it as far away he could. I burrowed my face against his chest, breathing rapidly. He left my senses spinning in a delirious mess that was out of control.

When Percy answered, his voice was rough. "This better be really important-"

I felt him stiffen, his heart rate picking up, and I knew instantly something bad had happened. Pulling back, I peered up at him. "What?"

"Okay," he said into the phone, his pupils becoming luminous. "Don't worry, Chiron. I'll take care of it."

Fear cooled the heat inside me. As Percy lowered the phone, my stomach dropped. "What?" I asked again.

Every single muscle in his body locked up. "It's Sally. She made a run for it."

I stared at Percy, praying I'd misunderstood him, but the keen desperation and the hint of fury in his ultra-bright eyes told me I hadn't.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"No. I completely understand." I tucked my hair back. "What can I do?"

"I need to go," he said, grabbing his keys from his pocket and placing them in my hand. Rearing his arm back, he chucked the phone a few yards away. He then turned to me. "Get to camp and stay there. Sally knows I have a car, she'll try to avoid roads so I'll go after her on foot."

"Percy, I can help you. I can go-"

"Please." He grasped my face again-his hands war against my now-cool cheeks. He kissed me, part longing and part angry. Then he backed away. "Go home."

And then he was gone, moving too fast for any human eye to track. I stood there for several moments. We'd had an hour, maybe two, before everything went to shit? My hands tightened around the keys. Sharp metal dug into my flesh.

A ruined date was the least of my problems.

"Dammit." I spun and jogged around the mustang. Climbing in, I readjusted the seat from Godzilla setting to Normal so my feet could reach the pedals.

 _Go home._

I had no idea where Sally would go but she may have taken a road. Percy wasn't going to be on the road.

I pulled out of the parking lot, gripping the steering wheel. If I went back to camp and waited like a good little girl, I could curl up on the bed and listen to music. Watch a movie and make some popcorn. Then when Percy came back, as long as nothing horrific happened, I'd throw myself in his arms again.

Making a right instead of a left, I laughed out loud.

Screw going home. This wasn't the 1950s. I wasn't a fragile human being. And I sure as hell wasn't the Thalia Percy had initially met. He was going to have to deal with it.

I gunned the engine, hoping the boys in blue were busy doing other rings besides monitoring traffic tonight. I had no idea where I was going but I had to do _something._

Halfway there, I caught two figures running, deep within the wooden tree line crowding the highway.

Slamming on the brakes, I swerved to the right as the bad lend of the mustang fishtailed until it came to an uneven stop along the shoulder. Pulse pounding, I flipped on the hazard lights and threw open the door. I bolted across the two-lane highway, half slipping until my feet hit the other shoulder and I gained traction. Tapping into my power and adrenaline, I picked up speed, running so fast that my feet barely touched the ground.

Low-hanging branches snagged at my hair. Sheets of snow fell as I dipped around a thick tree, disrupting once pristine land. To my left, there was a blur of brown racing away from me. Most likely a deer or, knowing my luck, a chupacabra.

I raced around a cluster of large rocks, kicking up snow as murderous icicles fell from elms, shattering into the ground around me. Flying through the maze of trees, I hung a sharp right-

And there they were. Two figures. In a stand off. _What the hell?_ I skidded to a stop, gulping in air.

One was taller, the other was a slender but they both looked at each other with the same expression. Challenging the other to make a move.

"Don't try to stop me, Percy." Sally said, her hand gripping an object I couldn't see.

I craned my neck further-she was clutching a pan as a weapon.

I had officially seen everything.

I folded my arms, shivering. "You have got to be kidding me." The two hotheads froze, and I really wanted to walk up and kick them both.

"I thought I told you to go back to camp and stay there," he said, voice thin with warning.

"And the last time I checked, you don't get to tell me to go home and stay." I took a step forward, ignoring the way his eyes brightened. "Look, I was worried. I thought I'd come and help."

His lips pulled back. "And how would you have helped?"

"I think I did. I got you two idiots to stop fighting."

He stared at me a moment longer and his look promised lots of trouble later. Maybe punishable trouble. Ah, scratch that. His look didn't promise anything of the fun kind.

"Just let me go, Percy." His mom tried to reason. "I'll be fine. Kronos let me go, which means he has no reason to hurt me. I'll get Paul and we'll get out."

Percy ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Mom, Kronos doesn't work like that and you know that. He has a reason for doing anything and everything and until we find out this reason, you're not going anywhere."

"You can't stop me," Sally said, voice creepily apathetic.

Muscles bulged under Percy's sweater. "I can and I will. I'm not letting you do this to yourself. He-"

"He's what? Not worth it?"

"I don't think he would want you to do this," Percy said. "If the situation were flipped, you wouldn't want him doing this."

Sally reared up, and the two they shared wary stances. "If they had Thalia-"

"Don't go there." Percy's hands curled into powerful fists.

His mother was unaffected. "If they had her, you'd be doing the same thing. Don't lie."

Percy opened his mouth but said nothing. We all knew what he'd do and no one would stop him. And knowing that, how could we ever stop Sally? We couldn't.

I knew the exact moment that Percy realized this, because he stepped back and thrust both hands through his windblown hair. Torn between doing what was right and what needed to be done.

Stepping forward, I swore I could feel the weight Percy carried as if it were my own. "We can't stop you. You're right."

Sally jerked toward me, eyes a dull sapphire. "Then let me go."

"But we can't do that either." I dared a peek at Percy. Nothing could be gained from his expression. "Your son has searched for you for sixteen years. He's been through and literal hell and back to find someone he's never even met. But it's because your his mother-you matter to him. Now, he's finally got you back and you're trying to run away. You have no idea what you're putting him through."

"You have no idea what I went through." She lowered his gaze. "What Paul is going through. I can't just forget about him, even though I love my son."

I heard Percy's sharp intake. It was the first time since Sally's return that she admitted any feelings for him. I took it and ran with it. "And he knows that. I know that. No one expects you to forget about Paul, but running off isn't helping anyone."

Wow. When did I become the voice of reason?

"What are the alternatives?" Sally asked. Her head tilted to the side-a mannerism so like her son.

Here was the problem. Sally wouldn't stop. Deep down, Percy knew and understood why and would do the same thing. It was hypocritical to the umpteenth degree to demand someone else do otherwise. There had to be a compromise.

And there was one. "Let us help you."

"What?" Percy demanded.

I ignored him. "You know running around trying to find this maze isn't going to work. We need to find out exactly where Paul is, and we need a plan to get to him. A real well-thought-out plan with low failure potential."

The Jacksons stared at me. I held my breath. This was it. There was no way Percy could keep watch over his mother forever. And it wasn't fair to assume that he could.

Sally turned away, back straight. Several seconds passed as the wind whipped through the trees, spinning snow. "I can't stand the idea of him being alone and scared. It hurts to breathe just thinking about it."

"I know," I whispered.

Moonlight sliced through the branches, carving Percy's face in a harsh light. He had gone quiet, but anger rolled off him. Did he really think he could keep going after Sally? If so, then he was insane.

Finally Sally nodded. "Okay."

Sweet relief flooded me, making my legs feel weak. "But you have to promise to give us time." Everything came down to the time we had no ownership of. "You can't get impatient and run off. You have to swear. Swear on Styx."

She faced me and a shudder rolled through her, taking the fight out of her. As she stood there; tension uncoiled, and her arms fell to her sides limply. "I swear on Styx. Help me and I swear."

"It's a deal." Lighting struck in the distance and I took in a deep breath. It was done.

There was a moment of silence, like the wilderness was soaking up her promise and my deal, committing it to memory. And then the three of us headed back to the car, the atmosphere silent and strained. My fingers were like Popsicles as I handed the keys over to Percy.

Sally climbed into the back, resting her head against the seat, eyes closed. I kept glancing at Percy, expecting him to say something, anything, but he was focused on the road, his silence a ticking time bomb.

I peeked over the back of the seat. Behind thin slits, she was watching Percy.

"Hey. Sally…?"

Her gaze slid to mine. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to get a job or something?" A job would keep her busy while we figured out how in the hell to get to Paul. And it matched Percy's vision he had told me about earlier and it also enabled us to keep an eye on Sally just in case she reneged on her promise. "There's a candy shop that's hiring. I think it's called 'Sweet on America.' I think it'd be nice for you to get away from all this half blood stuff for at least a few hours."

"People think she's dead." Percy said.

"I'm sure we can forge some documents and use the mist. Everyone thinks you disappeared, right? Well, some people that supposedly 'disappeared' turn back up again." I reasoned.

Sally appeared to consider that. "Maybe I could even take a few classes at NYU. I've always wanted to start writing."

"That's sounds nice." I gave the mortal a small smile.

Leaning forward, Sally rested her chin in the palms of her hands. "Better than sitting around thinking about everything."

Damn straight. She'd go crazy if she did.

"She'd have to get registered for classes," Percy said, fingers tapping off the steering wheel. "I'll talk to Chiron. See what we can do to get it taken care of."

Thrilled Percy was finally getting behind this, I settled back and smiled. Crisis averted. Now only if I could fix everything else so easily.

Annabeth was waiting by my tree when we walked up the hill. Clarisse standing sentry beside her. Sally slid out of the backseat and approached the child of Athena. Words were exchanged, too low for me to hear, and then they embraced each other.

It was heart-warming but confusing. But at this point, I was starting to accept this odd relationship.

"I thought I told you to go to camp."

I hadn't realized I was smiling until it faded at the sound of Percy's voice. I looked at him and felt my heart drop. Yeah, here was the trouble promised earlier. "I had to help."

He looked at the beach below us. "What would you have done if it wasn't Sally you came, but me fighting with Luke?"

"I would've still helped."

"Yeah, and the last time you two faced off, it ended well."

Drawing in a frustrated breath, I stood next to him. "I know you're upset because you worry about me, but I'm not going to be the girl who sits at home and waits for the hero to wipe out the villains."

"This isn't a book," he snapped.

"Well, duh, it's a fanfic."

"No. You don't get it." He turned to me, furious. "There is no set plot or clear idea of where any of this is going. The enemies aren't obvious. There are no guaranteed happy endings and you-" He lowered his head so we were eye level. "You should've listened to me."

"I know this isn't a book, Percy. I'm not stupid."

"You're not?" He laughed without humor. "Because being smart isn't rushing off after me."

"The same could be said about you!"My anger now matched his. "You ran off after Sally without knowing what you were getting into."

"No shit. But I can handle my own mother. I'm an assassin-law enforcement is still after me. What if I'd been surrounded by human officers, would you have been able to take them down? And live with yourself after that?"

Anxiety blossomed in my stomach, its smoky tendrils wrapping themselves around me. When I was alone and it was quiet, the fact I'd been so willing to take a human life was all I thought about. "I'm prepared to do that." My voice came out a whisper.

He took a step back, shaking his head. "Dammit, Thalia. I don't want you to experience that." Raw emotion filled his expression. "Killing isn't hard. It's what comes afterward-the guilt. I don't want you to deal with that. Don't you understand? I don't want you to have this kind of life. I don't want you to have _my_ life."

"But I already have this kind of life." I insisted.

The truth appeared to infuriate him more. "That issue aside, what you promised Sally was freaking unbelievable."

"What? My arms dropped to my sides.

"Help her find Paul? How in the hell are we supposed to do that?"

I shifted from one foot to the other. "I don't know, but we'll figure something out."

"Oh, that's good, Thalia. We don't know how to find him but we'll help. Awesome plan."

Heat rushed up my spine. Oh, this was grand. "You're such a hypocrite! You couldn't lie to Sally when she asked what you'd do if they had me. You're not the only one who gets to make brash and stupid decisions."

His mouth snapped shut. "That's not the point."

I cocked a brow. "Lame argument."

Percy shot forward, his voice harsh. "You had no right to make those kinds of promises to _my_ mother. She's not your family."

I flinched, taking a step back. Being smacked would've felt better. The way I saw it, at least I talked Sally off the cliff. Sure, promising to help find Paul wasn't ideal, but it was better than her running off like a goddamn crackhead.

I tried to rein in my anger and disappointment, because I understood where a lot of his fury was coming from. Percy didn't want me to get hurt, and he was worried about his mother, but his inherent, near-obsessive need to be protective didn't excuse his douchebaggery.

"Sally is my problem, because she's your problem," I said. "We're in this together."

Percy's eyes met mine. "Not on everything, Thalia. Sorry. That's just the way it is."

The back of my throat burned, and I blinked several times, refusing to shed tears even though my chest ached so badly. "If we're not together on everything, then how can we really be together?" My voice cracked. "Because I don't see how that's possible."

His eyes widened. "Thalia-"

I shook my head, knowing where this conversation was heading. Unless he was willing to see me as something other than a fragile piece of china, we were doomed.

Walking away from Percy was the hardest thing I'd done. Made worse by the fact he didn't try to stop me, because that wasn't his style, but deep down, in a place that spoke only the truth, I hadn't expected him to. But I wanted him to.

I needed him to.

* * *

I started to walk, going in no particular direction. In a way, I thought that was how my life was. Going nowhere, having no direction.

Ever since I found out I was a demigod, the daughter of one of the most powerful Olympians at that, I was expected to fulfill this doomsday prophecy or die trying. Now, I didn't have that. And I didn't have any direction.

"Thalia!" A petite figure with amber hair waved me over, beckoning me over to a nearby glade. It was Juniper-a dryad. "They've just started."

Just started what?

Shrugging, I jogged over to the glade and followed her to a clearing. A lot of satyrs sat in a circle on the forest floor. Grover stood in the middle, facing three older satyrs who sat on topiary thrones formed from rose bushes. The Council of Cloven Elders, I realized.

This was Grover's trial-these satyrs were to determine whether he would be allowed to continue his search for Pan, the lost god of the Wild. They held Grover's life- _his entire being and purpose_ -in their hands.

Earlier, last week-before the whole doomsday prophecy switch-a-roo and Sally's impromptu return-Grover had asked me to come to his trial, as a witness if needed. I agreed and somehow, I completely forgot about it. This was one of Grover's biggest moments and I had brushed off. I really needed to be a better friend.

Speaking of friends, I looked to my left. Annabeth and Clarisse had an arm around Juniper who had started to cry.

I went up to them, trying to give Juniper a small smile. "It's going to be okay."

"How?" The dryad whispered, sobs racking her body. "They don't believe a word he's saying."

Earlier this winter, Pan spoke to Grover while we were on a quest to save Artemis and Annabeth. I hadn't heard the god personally but I felt his presence. The Council were wary of this story because no one had heard from Pan in hundreds of years.

"Master Underwood, do you honestly expect us to believe this nonsense?" the council member on the right shouted, rolling his eyes. "I think we've heard enough."

"Silenus, I'm telling the truth!" Grover insisted, pleading with the old satyrs.

Chiron, who was an honorary council member, stood next to the old satyrs. He whispered a few things to them and when he was done, they all looked displeased.

"This is outrageous!" The satyr in the middle roared. "Pan hasn't spoken in years and why would he speak to _you_ of all people?!"

"Alright, let me at him." Juniper was tiny but fiesty. She reared up on her heels, ready to take a swing at the elder.

"Calm your tits, girl." Clarisse pulled her back, preventing an outburst. "Know when to pick your fights."

The dryad huffed but turned her attention back to the trial.

"Leneus, you know how hard I've been searching." Grover looked at the elder in the middle, trying to connect with him. "I came back from the sea of monsters-no satyr has ever come back from there! I will find Pan but I just need more time."

Leneus snorted but turned to the elders and whispered something. The other satyrs seemed to agree and nodded but Chiron shook his head, uttering a few words.

With a huff, the elders turned to face Grover.

"Master Underwood, you've got two weeks to prove your dubious claim. Otherwise, you will pursue another career-like juggling. I've always liked juggling." Silenus announced and most of us gasped.

Grover paled as though they had given him a death sentence. "B-but, more t-time-"

"No buts, and's, or if's." The elder replied, wagging a wrinkly finger. "Two weeks. Meeting adjourned."

Silenus clapped his hands and some nymphs brought forth platters of veggies, fruits, and a mountain of tin cans. The satyrs began to devour the meal.

Grover bleated mournfully as we approached him. I felt the back of my neck tingle and heard heavy footsteps approach us.

"Judging by the look on your face, I'm going to assume it didn't go well." Percy grimaced, motioning to Grover.

"It went horrible and now I only have two weeks." Grover groaned. "It's taken me years to even hear Pan-how am I supposed to find him or prove that he spoke to me in two weeks?"

"You'll figure it out, sweet pea." Juniper encouraged, giving him a brief hug. She looked at us encouragingly. "Besides, you have great friends that can help you."

I gave the satyr an awkward smile. If he really was depending on us, he was even more screwed. Annabeth suddenly found interest in a nearby tree. Even though she was a daughter of Athena, this wasn't a puzzle she wanted to solve. Clarisse whistled and looked in the opposite direction.

The son of Kronos and Poseidon snorted. "You better call those friends because you're gonna need all the help you can get."

Clarisse elbowed him in the ribs. "She was referring to us, dumbass."

"Oh..." Percy's eyes widened and he threw Grover a lazy grin. "I knew that. Great friends. Helpful friends. That's us!"

"I'm so screwed." Grover moaned, letting his head fall down. "I might as well just throw in the towel now and enroll in juggling class."

"Hey, don't talk like that." Annabeth said. "It'll be alright."

"Yeah, you've got this." I encouraged.

"Totally." Clarisse and Juniper backed me up.

"I heard there are some pretty good juggling nightclasses at the nearby community college." Percy offered.

"Why are you here again?" The daughter of Athena said harshly, whipping her head towards him.

"Oh hello, thank you for finally acknowledging my presence. Um, I'm here to support a friend."

"Well, you're not being supportive." Annabeth countered. "As usual, you are being your normal, crappy self."

"I'll have you know-"

"Enough." I interrupted, turning to Percy. "Do you really want to start another fight right now?"

The demigod closed his mouth and stared straight ahead. "Just let me know if there's anything I can do, Grover. I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Percy." Grover said.

Percy glanced at me briefly then spun on his heels, leaving the forest.

I exhaled and turned back to my friends.

"Trouble in paradise?" Clarisse asked, a smirk on her face.

"Whatever, Clarrise." I brushed the daughter of Ares off.

Annabeth had an 'I told you so' expression on her face. "It's only going to get worse from here on out. That's what happens when you're around him-he's like a kindling fire. At first, it's nice to be around him but the longer you're around, the hotter it gets. Then you'll get hurt or in my case, someone you love will get hurt." Her voice quivered at the last sentence.

The blonde brushed away a stray tear. "Anyway, I know you'll figure something out, Grover. You always do. Even when it seems impossible."

Grover nodded then waved as the demigod walked away.

I gave Grover a hug and Clarisse patted him reassuringly on the back and then together, we walked away.

"I'm having a bit of trouble with my relationship as well." The daughter of Ares admitted as we neared the cabins.

My jaw threatened to drop. "Relationship?"

"His name is Chris. Chris Rodriguez." If it wasn't getting so dark, I could've sworn I saw her blush.

I sucked in a sharp breath, recognizing the name. "Formerly rogue half blood?"

Clarrise nodded, wringing her hands repeatedly. Chris had attended camp Half-Blood at one point. He was undetermined and resented the gods so he joined Kronos' army. I guess at one point he tried to run away and found himself stuck in a maze, similar to the one Sally described. Clarisse, on an top-secret assignment given by Chiron, found him and was trying to nurse him back to health. His time in that dark maze caused him to go insane. Currently, he lived in the basement of the Big House, getting worse by the day.

"Mr. D checked him out the other day-before he left to round up some immortal allies for the gods in the upcoming war." Clarisse shivered. "But he said that Chris wasn't mad. The things Chris says...he's clearly lost his mind."

"But Mr. D is the expert on all things mad-he's a little mad himself." I shook my head in disbelief.

"Well, maybe crazy can't tell crazy apart." Clarisse squared her shoulders. "Chris is going to get better-I know it."

"He has you. He'll be okay." I gave her a small smile and motioned towards my cabin. "Well, here's my stop. 'Night, Clarisse."

"See you around, Thalia." The girl jogged over to the Big House then disappeared inside.

Once inside, I hopped in my bed, not even bothering to change clothes. I just took off my shoes and stared at the ceiling.

Today sucked on an epic scale.

My fight with Percy had drained me. Not that we've never fought before-that was how interacted before we starting dating but this fight was...different. It didn't sit well with me at all. Even though the fight was mostly about Sally and my irrational promise to her, there was still the underlying idea that Percy was way too overprotective of me. He didn't see me as his equal. And that same idea kept reappearing over and over again. Even if we were to make up, the same conflict would reappear again. How many times we were supposed to make up before we called quits...for good?

* * *

The following Monday sucked. All of Sunday I managed to avoid Percy and he didn't come over either, most likely avoiding me also or trying to do some damage control with Sally. Now, I had to face him again.

I dropped into my seat, pulling out my massive Greek translations textbook.

Katie Gardner laughed softly. "You look absolutely thrilled to be back."

"Whee," I said unenthusiastically. The one good thing about quests was that you didn't have to go to class. The bad thing was that you may never attend a class if you were to die on said quest.

Sympathy marked her expression. "How…how is Annabeth? I've tried dropping by the Athena cabin but Malcolm said she didn't want to talk to anyone."

"Same here," Silena added, sitting down in front of Katie.

"She's really not talking to anyone right now." Well, besides Sally and Clarisse, which was so bizarre I couldn't even think about it.

Katie sighed, "I wish we had the shroud burial. I would've loved to pay my respects, you know?"

After Lee died, his mortal mother waited outside of camp for her son's body. I suppose Chiron had sent someone to retrieve it at one point. I didn't see the woman but I didn't need to. Her wails were jarring enough. She had asked for us not to burn a shroud because ultimately, Lee died because he was a half blood. It his destiny to participate in quests and risk his life at the drop of a hat.

His mother didn't want one of his last memorials to be centered around the aspect that killed him. His half blood aspect.

"It just sucks," Katie continued, glancing at Silena. "I thought maybe we could go to the amphitheater after school this week. Take her mind off it."

I nodded. I liked the sound of that but doubted we'd get very far with her.

Warmth spread over my neck, and I looked to the front of the class. A few seconds later, Percy strolled in. My stomach tightened, and I forced myself not to look down. If I was arguing that I was capable of handling bad things, I couldn't hide from my boyfriend when we had a fight.

Percy arched a single brow as he passed by, taking his seat behind me. I took a deep breath then turned around in my seat.

"Hey," I said, and then I flushed, because there was nothing lamer than _hey._

He seemed to think the same thing and showed it as one side of his lip curled up into a trademark Percy smirk. Sexy? Yes. Infuriating? Oh, yes. I wondered what he would say. Would he yell at me for talking to Sally yesterday? Apologize? Because if he apologized, I'd probably crawl into his lap right there in class. Or would he go with the ever-faithful "talk in private" comment? While Percy loved an audience, I knew what he showed the world wasn't really him, and if he were going to open himself up, vulnerable to the core, he wouldn't want people watching.

"I like your hair like that," he commented.

My brows rose. Okay. Not what I was expecting. Lifting my arms, I smoothed my hands down the sides of my hair. The only thing I'd done differently was part it down the middle. Nothing news worthy. "Um, thanks…?"

The smirk remained on his face as we continued to stare at each other, and as the seconds passed, the more irritated I grew. Seriously?

"Anything else you want to say?" I asked.

He leaned forward, sliding his elbows across the desk. Our faces were inches apart. "Is there anything you want me to say?"

I took a deep breath. "Lots of things…"

Thick lashes lowered, and his voice was rich as satin. "I bet."

He thought I was flirting? Then he spoke again. "There's something I'd like you to say. How about 'I'm sorry for Saturday'?"

I wanted to clock him. Of all the arrogant nerve, I swear. Instead of being snarky, I shot him an annoyed look and turned around. I ignored him for the rest of class and even left without saying a word to him.

Of course, he was two steps behind me as I walked to my next class. My entire back tingled under his scrutiny, and if I didn't know better, I'd think he was amused by all of this.

Morning classes dragged. Health was weird, since the seat beside to me was now empty. Silena noticed it with a frown. "Annabeth's still not coming back to class?"

I shrugged, studiously staring at the projector screen Chiron was pulling down. "Chiron told her she could come back whenever she was ready. Guess she's not ready."

"Things still rough with the boy toy?" The daughter of Aphrodite changed the subject offhandedly.

"Rough can't even begin to describe out problems." I sighed.

Her face transformed with a knowing grin. "Percy seems like the RAWR type but you two will work something out. Believe in love, Thals."

I snickered, Silena was exactly like her mother. "Anyway, how's Beckendorf?"

The girl flushed and went on an seemingly endless description on how her boyfriend had planned this wonderful date and whatnot. Of course, Silena still wanted to know about Percy and me, and I refused to go there, much to her dismay. She admitted to wanting to live vicariously through me.

After health, I stopped by my cabin as usual and took my sweet old time changing out books. I walked back to the series of classrooms, wandering around the hallway. It was mostly empty and the hum of conversation was distant.

Something moved at the end of the once-empty corridor, coming out of what seemed like nowhere. A tall and slender form at the end of the hall, obviously male by the quick look, and he was wearing a baseball cap. It was one of those God-awful trucker hats that guys found cool once upon a time.

I saw a brief flash of a jagged, white scar along the figure's face.

My pulse spiked and I blinked, taking a step back. The guy was gone, but the door to the left was slowly swinging closed.

No…no, it couldn't be. He'd be crazy insane to come back here, but… Holding my bag tightly to my side, I started walking and then I was jogging before I knew it. I hit the door, throwing it open. Rushing to the railing, I peered over it. Mystery Dude was on the bottom level, as if he were waiting at the door.

Then a pale hand, as if the person hadn't seen daylight in a while, wrapped around the silver doorknob, and a wave of familiarity raised the tiny hairs on my arms.

Oh, crap.

Part of my brain clicked off. I went down the steps three at a time, my breath locked in my chest. The hallway was more crowded on the first floor as people headed for the mess hall. I heard Katie call my name, but I was focused on the top of the trucker hat moving toward the arena.

I darted around a couple totally getting into hallway PDA, slipped between friends talking, and lost sight of the hat for a second. _Dammit._ Everyone and their mother were in my way. I bumped into someone, mumbling an apology, and kept going. When I reached the end of the hall, the only place he could've gone was out the door. I didn't think twice. Pushing the heavy double doors open, I stepped outside. A few quick glances around, I realized he was gone.

I had no doubt in my mind that I'd seen Luke, and he'd wanted me to see him.

* * *

Finding Percy wasn't hard at all. Wherever food was, Percy was there too. He was lounging against a wall in the mess hall, talking to the Stoll brothers. A carton of milk was in one hand and a slice of pizza folded in the other. What a gross-as-hell combination.

"We need to talk," I said, interrupting boy time.

Percy took a bite of pizza while the two brothers glanced down at me. There must've been something in my stare, because their smile faded and they lifted their hands, backing up slowly.

"Okay, well. We'll talk to you later, Percy." They said simultaneously, walking away.

He nodded, eyes trained on mine. "What's up, Sweetheart? Come to apologize?"

My eyes narrowed, and for a brief moment, I entertained the idea of body slamming him in the middle of the cafeteria. "Uh, no, I'm not here to apologize. _You_ owe _me_ an apology."

"How so?" He took a drink, appearing naively curious.

"Well, for starters, I'm not an ass. You are."

He chuckled as he glanced to the side. "That's a good start."

"And I got Sally to heel." I smiled victoriously when his eyes narrowed. "And- Wait. This isn't even important. Gods, you always do this."

"Do what?" His intense gaze swung back to me without a trace of anger. More like amusement and something really inappropriate, given that we were standing in the mess hall. Dear gods…

"Distract me with the inane. And in case you don't know what that mean, it's silly-you always distract me with something silly."

He finished off his pizza. "I know what _inane_ means."

"Shocker," I retorted.

A slow, cat-got-the-canary grin pulled at his lips. "I must be really distracting you, because you still haven't told me what you need to talk to me about."

Dammit. He was right. Ugh. Taking a deep breath, I focused. "I saw-"

Percy cupped my elbow, spun me around, and started down the aisle. "Let's go somewhere more private."

I tried to yank my elbow from his grasp. I really hated it when he went all He-Man on me and ordered me around. "Stop dragging me, Percy. I can walk on my own, Doofus."

"Uh huh." He led me down the hall, stopping by the arena. He placed his hands on either side of my head, caging me in as he leaned down. His forehead brushed mine. "Can I tell you something?"

I nodded.

"I find it incredibly attractive when you're all feisty with me." His lips brushed against my temple. "That probably makes me disturbed. But I like it."

Yeah, it kind of was wrong, but there was something…hot about how quickly he defended me whenever something happened.

His nearness was tempting, especially when his breath was tantalizingly warm and so near my lips. Summoning all my willpower, I placed my hands on his chest and pushed lightly. "Focus," I said, not sure who I was talking to, me or him. "I have something more important to tell you than what disturbing things get you hot."

His lips quirked into a grin. "Okay, back to what you saw, I'm focused. My head's in the game and all that."

I laughed under my breath but sobered up pretty quickly. In no way was Percy going to respond well to this. "I'm pretty sure I saw Luke today."

Percy cocked his head to the side. "Say what?"

"I think I saw Luke here, just a few minutes ago."

"How sure are you? Did you see him-his face?" He was all business now eyes as sharp as a hawk's and his face set in grim lines.

"Yeah, I saw-" I hadn't seen his face. Biting down on my lip, I glanced down the hall. Campers piled out of the mess hall, pushing into one another, laughing. I swallowed. "I didn't see his face."

He let out a long breath. "Okay. What did you see?"

"A hat-a trucker hat." Gods, that sounded lame. "And I saw his hand…" And that sounded even worse.

His brows arched up. "So, let me get this right. You saw a hat and a hand?"

"Yeah." I sighed, shoulders slumping.

Percy smoothed out his expression and placed a heavy arm around my shoulder. "Are you really sure it was him? I know there's an intruder and all but Luke isn't the type to be a sneaky. He would come out and probably try to kill us all. Besides, everyone knows what Luke looks like-someone else would've spotted him sooner. Maybe you've been under too much stress. Are you sure it was him, Thalia? I don't want to get everyone freaking out if you're not sure."

What I'd experienced was none of a feeling than a true sighting of Luke. There were a ton of boys around here wearing atrocities such as trucker hats. The things was, I hadn't seen his face and looking back, I couldn't be 100 percent sure it had been Luke.

I looked into Percy's bright gaze and felt my cheeks burn. There wasn't judgment in his eyes. More like sympathy. He thought I was cracking under the pressure of everything. Maybe I was imagining stuff.

"I'm not sure," I said finally, casting my eyes down.

And those words soured in my stomach.

* * *

Later that night, Percy and I did baby-sitting duty. Although Sally had promised not to do her own search-and-rescue mission, I knew Percy wasn't comfortable leaving her alone.

Presently, I was sitting in between the Jacksons, four hours into a George Romero zombiethon, with a bowl of popcorn in my lap and a notebook resting against my chest. We'd been making plans to look for Paul, getting more description of this maze Sally had told us about. We knew that maze and Tartarus were in close vicinity so we figured we had to start looking around in the Underworld. By the start of _Land of the Dead_ , the zombies got uglier and smarter.

And I was having fun.

"I had no idea you were a zombie fan." Percy grabbed a handful of popcorn. "What is it-the blood and gets or the in-your-face social undertones?"

I laughed. "Mostly the blood and guts."

"That's so un-girlie of you." Percy commented, brows knitting as a zombie started to use its meat cleaver to break through a wall. "I don't know about this. How many hours do we have left?"

Sally looked at the two DVDs in her hand. "We have _Diary of the Dead_ and _Survival of the Dead_."

"Great," Percy muttered.

I rolled my eyes. "Wussy."

"Whatever." He elbowed me, knocking a kernel of popcorn between my chest and notebook. I sighed.

"Want me to get that for you?" he asked.

Shooting him a look, I dug it out and then tossed it in his face. "You're going to be grateful when the zombie apocalypse occurs and I know what to do because of my zombie fetish."

He looked doubtful. "There are better fetishes out there, Sweetheart. I could show you a few."

"Uh, no, thank you." But I did flush. And there were a lot of images that suddenly polluted my brain.

"Aren't you supposed to go to the nearest Costco or something?" Sally asked, setting the DVDs back on the table.

Percy turned to his mother slowly, face incredulous. "And how would you know that?"

She shrugged. "It's in the _Zombie Survival Guide_."

"It is." I nodded eagerly. "Costco has everything—thick walls, food, and supplies. They even sell guns and ammunition. You could hole up there for years while the zombies are getting their nom nom on."

Percy's mouth dropped open.

"What?" I grinned. "Zombies got to eat, too, you know."

"Very true about the Costco thing." Sally picked up a single kernel and popped it in her mouth. "But couldn't you guys just use your powers?"

"Ah, good point." I rooted around in the bowl for a half-popped kernel—my favorite.

"I'm surrounded by freaks," Percy said, looking dumbfounded as he shook his head, but I knew he was secretly thrilled.

For one thing, his body was completely relaxed next to mine and this was one of the first times that Sally was acting…normal. Yeah, talking about zombies probably wasn't the biggest step known to mankind, but it was something.

On the flat screen, a zombie took a chunk out of some dude's arm. "What the hell?" Percy complained. "The guy just stood there. Hello. There're zombies everywhere. Try looking behind you, douche canoe."

I giggled.

"This is why zombie movies are unbelievable to me," he went on. "Okay. Say the world ends in a shit storm of zombies. The last thing anyone with two working brain cells would do is just stand along a building waiting for a zombie to creep up on him."

Sally cracked a smile.

"Shut up and watch the movie," I said.

He ignored that. "So you really think you'd do well in a zombie apocalypse?"

"Yeppers," I said. "I'd totally save your butt."

"Yeah, right."

Sally actually laughed, finding amusement in our bickering.

With a smug grin, Percy reached for the bowl and came up empty. Feeling eyes on me, I glanced at Sally.

She was staring at us, but I wasn't sure if she was even seeing us. There was a reminiscent expression in her eyes, tainted with sadness and something else. Determination? I didn't really know, but for a second, the blue hue brightened, no longer dull and listless, and she looked so much like Percy that I drew in a shallow breath.

Then she gave her head a little shake and looked away.

I glanced at Percy and I knew he'd noticed. He shrugged. "Anyone want more popcorn?" he asked. "I think there's even food coloring. I can make it red for you. Like blood."

"More popcorn but make it blue, please." Sally responded.

"Blue?" Her son rose a brow.

Sally nodded, a ghost of a smile appearing on her lips. "That was the way I wanted to introduce you to your half blood life, I guess. When you born, I wanted to eventually tell you about the gods and all of that but I needed to find a way to ease you into it. I figured I'd make every food blue and one day, I'd tell that it was blue because your father was the god of the sea."

Percy's eyes were watering and he swallowed. In an instant, that expression was gone replaced with a lopsided smile. "Blue it is."

When he grabbed the bowl and stood, I caught him sneaking a relieved glance at his mother.

"Want me to pause the movie?" I asked.

His look told me no and I giggled again. Percy sauntered out of the room, stopping at the door when the zombies crested the water. Then he shook his head again and left. He wasn't fooling me.

"I think he secretly enjoys zombie movies," Sally said, glancing at me.

I smiled at her. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Sally nodded. "I like this. I think I would like to do it more often." There was a pause and her gaze flickered back to the TV. "We should do this again."

My heart went out to her and Percy. I glanced at the screen, chewing on my lower lip. "Yeah, we'll do it again. As many times as you want."

She didn't respond.

I wondered if the problem was that Sally wasn't comfortable alone with Percy. There was definitely a lot of baggage between the two. "I'd love to watch some zombies movies before we check out the maze and stuff."

Sally was silent as she crossed her legs at the ankles. I was pretty sure she wasn't going to answer, just ignore what I offered, and I was okay with that. Small steps and all.

But then she did speak. "Yes, I…I can do that."

Surprised, my head swung toward Sally. "Really?"

"Yes." She smiled. It was weak, but it was a smile.

Happy about this, I nodded and then turned my attention back to the gore. But I saw Percy standing just outside the living room. My gaze was drawn to his, and I sucked in an unsteady breath.

He'd heard everything.

Relief and gratitude poured from him. He didn't need to say anything. The thank-you was in his stare, in the way his hands gave a little shake around the fresh bowl of popcorn. He came into the room and sat, placing the bowl in my lap. Then he reached over, took my hand in his, and it stayed that way the rest of the night.

* * *

Over the next couple of days, I came to accept that I probably did have a mini freak-out on Monday. There had been no more trucker hat sightings from hell, and then on Thursday, the whole Luke thing became a nonissue.

Sally had taken up some classes at NYU and worked at the candy shop. Things were beginning to look up.

I arrived to my first period, starting a conversation with Silena. Soon, Katie arrived to class and then Percy. He placed a cup of mocha latte on my desk. Cinnamon permeated the air.

"Thanks." I held the warm cup. "Where's yours?"

"Already had one," he said, twirling Riptide in its pen form. He glanced over my shoulder. "Hi, Silena."

The daughter of Aphrodite sighed. "I need a Percy."

I turned to her, unable to hide my grin. "You have a Beckendorf."

She rolled her eyes. "He doesn't bring me lattes."

Percy chuckled. "Not everyone can be as great as I am."

Now I rolled my eyes. "Ego check, Percy, ego check."

From across the aisle, Katie fiddled with her pencil, her eyes serious and somber as she glanced at Percy. "I just wanted to say I'm glad Sally's back and okay." Two red spots bloomed on her cheeks. "It must be a huge relief."

Percy nodded. "It is."

Talk of his mother ended right there. After class, Percy and I navigated the hall, stopping at the door to my health class. Percy took a sip of my mocha and handed it back.

"See you at lunch," he said, kissing me briefly before pivoting around.

My lips tingled as I watched the back of his dark head disappear, and then I headed into class.

I waved as Silena as I dropped into my seat.

"So I went to see Annabeth today..." The girl started.

"Ah," I said, suddenly wanting to dissappear. Whenever I thought of Annabeth, I wanted to cry. Our friendship had taken a sharp detour to Breakupsville.

"Her grieving process is scary. I tried to talk to her yesterday during dinner, and she looked at me, said nothing, and then walked away."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, it actually hurt my feelings."

"Pretty much what I've—"

The door to the classroom opened as the bell rang and the first thing I noticed was a dark blue sweater and khaki pants. Then the neat, blond hair and blue eyes.

My heart stopped; a buzzing started in my ears and picked up to a roar. The air was sucked right out of the room.

I gritted my teeth. "Luke."

I had to be dreaming because this could not be real. No way. Absolutely not. It wasn't Luke strolling into the classroom like it was any other day. Nor did Chiron drop his stack of notes.

"You okay, Thals? Looking a little wigged out," Silena noticed.

My eyes darted to hers wildly. "Can you not see him?"

"See who?" The girl frowned, looking around. At one point, she was looking right in Luke's direction but didn't seem to see him.

A second later, Luke was taking a seat—a seat beside me. The rest of the class blurred out. I was struck stupid by his reappearance.

He placed his notebook on the table and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. Casting me a sidelong glance, he winked.

What the holy hell…?

Giving up on my silence, Silena turned around, shaking her head. "I have weird friends," she muttered.

Luke said nothing as Chiron gathered up his scattered papers. My heart was now racing so fast I was sure I was going to stroke out any second.

Finally, I found my voice. "What…are you doing?"

He looked at me, a thousand secrets among the blue flecks in his gaze. "Going to class."

"You…" There were no words. And then the shock wore off, replaced with a spike of anger so powerful and so hot I felt static rush over my skin.

"No one else can see or hear me. Except for you and good ol' Chi-ro." The son of Hermes said that last part loudly so Chiron could hear him. The centaur set his papers on his desk and said nothing. "If you tell everyone to leave, I'm going to kill them all. Starting with you." He turned toward me.

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered, careful not to attract any attention.

"I'm just here to learn."

Closing my eyes, I counted to ten. When I was about 40 percent sure I wasn't going to jump on him like a goddamn monkey and snap his neck, I reopened my eyes. "You shouldn't be here."

"Too late."

* * *

 **A/N-Okay, so on saturday I was ready to update but at this point, I had stopped after the Perlia fight but then I didn't want to post it because I just wasn't feeling it. So I added Grover's trial and I was supposed to introduce Quintus and the labyrinth but I don't know, I kind of went on a tangent. Anywho, somehow I wrote 11k words and honestly, the longer the chapter, the worse the grammar. I try not to make like major mistakes but with so many words, it's bound to have a handful of mistakes. If they're extremely distracting, let me know but don't roast me for the occasional run on, okay? I'm just trying to stay alive and take care of my people. See you guys on Saturday for chapter 3!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N-So it's saturday so time for another update. Once again, this is more than 10k words so there's your warning. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **I glanced toward the front of the classroom and saw Chiron writing on the chalkboard, his face pale.** He was talking, but I didn't hear anything.

I tucked my hair back behind one ear and kept my hand there. Anything to keep me from hitting Luke, because it was a real possibility that I would. "We gave you a chance." I kept my voice low. "We won't do it again."

"But I think you will." He leaned over the small space, coming too close and causing my muscles to lock up. "Once you hear what I have to offer."

A crazed laugh bubbled up my throat as I kept my eyes fixed on Chiron. "You are so, so dead."

Silena glanced over her shoulder questioningly. I forced a smile.

"Speaking of dead," he murmured once Silena had turned back around. "I see Percy's long lost mother has returned." He picked up his pen and started writing. "I bet Percy is so thrilled."

My hand closest to him curled. A faint white light danced over my knuckles, flicking like the core of a flame. "You would know-you're the one who released her."

"She wasn't needed anymore. Percy's lucky that his father decided to spare her." Luke shrugged nonchalantly then glanced at my hand. "You should really work on that anger of yours."

I shot him a dark, promising look. "Why are you here? For real?"

He put his finger over his lips. "Shush. I need to learn about…" He glanced at the board, eyes narrowing in concentration. "Ankle Osteoarthritis. Yawn."

It took every ounce of my self-control to sit through that class. Even Chiron looked like he was having trouble, forgetting where he was going with his lecture every couple of minutes.

Frustrated, I blew out a breath. I needed to let Percy know that Luke was back asap.

I glanced at said douchebag. No doubt about it, Luke was good-looking. He rocked the preppy look and wind swept blond hair. But beneath that easy grin lurked a traitor.

The moment the bell rang, I gathered my stuff and headed toward the door, shooting Chiron a look. Somehow he seemed to know, because he jerked his head toward window, motioning to the Big House. He wanted a meeting. I nodded, going to find Percy first.

I made it about three steps before Luke stalked up behind me in the hall and cupped my elbow. "We need to talk," he said.

I tried to pull my arm free. "And you need to let go of me."

"Or what? Are you going to try to kill me again?" His head angled toward me and I caught the familiar scent of his aftershave.

I gritted my teeth. "What do you want?"

"Only to talk." He steered me into an empty classroom. Once inside, I tore my arm free as he locked the door. "Look—"

Acting on instinct, I dropped my bag on the floor and let my power soar through me. Whitish-red light spread over my arms, crackling in the air. A ball of electricity the size of a softball built above my palm.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Thalia, I just want to talk. You don't need—"

I released the energy. The light shot across the room in a bolt. Luke darted out of the way and the light smacked into the chalkboard. The intensity melted the middle of the green slate and the smell of burning ozone filled the air.

Rage built up in me again, and this time I wasn't going to miss. It rushed down my arms to my fingertips. In that moment, I really didn't know if it was powerful enough to kill Luke or just do some serious damage. Or maybe I did and I just didn't want to admit it.

Rushing behind me, Luke ran circles around me. I cursed his speedy son of Hermes powers. His speed increased and he managed to pick up some serious wind. The wind caused all the chairs to the left of me to fly to the right, smacking into my legs and crowding me. My aim was off and the electric ball skyrocketed over Luke's head, slamming into the circular clock above the board. It exploded in a hundred dazzling pieces of plastic and glass that rained down…

And then the pieces stopped in midair, hung there as if attached to invisible strings. Below them, Luke straightened, his eyes luminous.

"Crap," I whispered, my gaze darting to the door. There was no way I'd make it there and if he'd frozen those pieces, most likely everything was frozen. The door. People outside the room, I imagined. Somehow, he must've already inherited some of Kronos' powers.

"Are you done yet?" Luke's voice was harsh in my ears. "Because you're going to tire yourself out here in a few seconds."

He had a point. The more power half-bloods used, the more tired they became.

But it didn't mean I was going to just stand there and let Luke do whatever he planned.

I took a step forward and the chairs reacted in defense. They launched into the air, forcing me back as they stacked atop one another, forming a circle around me that reached the ceiling.

Raising my hands, I pictured the chairs with little desk areas attached flying apart. Moving stuff was easy to me now, so in theory, those babies should've shot at Luke like bullets. But the winds wouldn't listen to me; the chairs began to tremble and slid away from me.

Luke pushed back and the wall of chairs shook but didn't budge. I kept the image of them moving away from me, drawing on the static energy inside me until a fierce throbbing sliced through my temples. The pain increased until I dropped my arms. My heart tripped up as I whirled around. Trapped—encased in a tomb of freaking chairs.

Through the gaps in chairs, I saw him come around the desk. "I don't want to hurt you."

I paced in a tiny circle, dragging in deep breaths. My legs felt like jelly, skin dry and brittle. "You killed Lee."

"Technically, you did." He shot back then sighed. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't have ran. You have to believe that the last thing I wanted was for anyone to get hurt. I just want to make the gods pay-I have nothing against their children."

My mouth dropped open. "Oh really?! Then why were you fighting me on Mount Tam?"

"I was defending myself. You attacked me." He followed me on the other side of the wall. "I'm sorry about Lee-I know he meant alot to Annabeth. I talked to him a few times, back when I was a camper. He was a nice guy—"

"Don't talk about him!" I stopped, hands balling into weak, useless fists. "You shouldn't have come back."

Luke cocked his head to the side. "Why? Because Percy's going to kill me?"

I mirrored his movements. "Because _I'm_ going to kill you."

A brow arched and curiosity marked his features. "You already had your chance, Thalia. Killing isn't in your nature."

"You clearly saw that it was. I was going to kill you and I went through with it." I stepped back, checking the chairs. They shook a little. It was clear that Luke didn't have much experience using Kronos' powers. "Unfortunately, I missed my target. I'll kill you now-anything to protect my friends."

There was a pause. During those seconds, the shattered pieces of the clock fell. I did a little victory dance inside. "You have changed," he finally said.

Part of me wanted to laugh, but the action got stuck in my throat. "You have no idea."

Moving back from the chairs, he ran a hand through his perfect hair. "This is good, because maybe you'll understand the importance of what I'm about to offer you."

My eyes narrowed. "There is nothing you could offer."

A wry smile appeared on his lips—lips that I had kissed once. That memory was forever etched into my mind. Bile stung the back of my throat. "I've been watching you all for days. A child of Hecate did a spell on me-it makes me invisible to everyone but the specific people that I chose to see me. Once you see me, you can't unsee me again."

"Why are telling me this?" I interrogated, voice harsh.

"Because I need you to trust me." My expression must've been one of anger because he immediately held his hands up. A sign of surrender. "Well, at least temporarily."

He folded his arms when he realized he had my full attention. "I know Sally has been trying to find Paul, but she doesn't know where to look. I do. He should be near Daedalus' workshop, in the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth is the maze Sally's been talking about."

I stopped pacing. The Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete. Its function was to hold the Minotaur eventually killed by the hero Theseus. Daedalus had so cunningly made the Labyrinth that he could barely escape it after he built it. As far as I knew, the guy was dead and the labyrinth couldn't be found. "Where's the Labyrinth?"

Luke laughed. "I have no idea, that maze has a mind of its own. The entrances and exits pop up in different places at times. Look, Thalia, I'm in trouble. I wanted-and still do-to make the gods pay for their crimes against half-bloods. They leave us to the mercy of monsters at a young age and those of us lucky enough to survive and reach camp, never hear from our godly parents. It's unfair!"

My eyes widened and I think Luke realized he needed to calm the hell down. "Anyway, I want to make the gods pay but the stuff Kronos wants me to do is...insane." A shiver ran down his spine. "I can't be his host. I have already undergone tests that have allowed me to gain a little bit of his power and it already weakens me. If he posses my body, he'll kill me."

I tried not to show much emotion, but my heart was racing. Yeah, Luke was a traitor and tried to kill me but he was one of my first friends. My first love. Barely three weeks ago, I tried to kill him but I felt as though I had no other option. I didn't want him to die at the hands of Kronos though.

"So to avoid death, I need to find a durable host. Unfortunately, Percy isn't a willing participant and I'm failing. I may even die before he completely possess me. Daedalus built some automatons-they're in his workshop, those things can withstand anything, even a possession. Help me find the labyrinth and I'll get us to the workshop. Agree to help me get the automaton, and I'll make sure Sally gets to Paul. That's all I want."

Rendered speechless, I blinked. He was asking for our help after everything? That crazy laugh was building again and it came out this time, throaty and low. "You're freaking nuts."

His expression slipped into a scowl. "Kronos thinks I'm on a mission to make myself stronger for the possession. He thinks I'm going to walk through river Styx-like Theseus-and become stronger. I only have one shot before he realizes what I'm actually doing."

I gasped, he would certainly die if he went through that river. It made one practically invincible but many people had died trying to do so.

"I know someone who knows a lot about the Labyrinth. He doesn't have a map or anything like that but he should be able to tell us the obstacles we'll face."

He couldn't be serious. The chairs at the top wobbled, and I knew I was seconds away from being buried under the damn things.

"We don't need you. We'll find the Labyrinth and Sally can direct us to where we need to go. She knows where to go."

"Without me, you won't know what's coming. Paul is near the workshop and only I know where that is. Sally's never been there so while she could lead you through most of the maze, she won't know exactly where he is. And trust me, you don't want to stay in the place too long. You know what happened to Chris." I shot him a confused look but he ignored it. Luke took another step back. Over his shoulder, the air was distorted in waves. The kind of power he was throwing off…

"You need me," he said. "And yeah, I need you guys. I can't get to the workshop alone."

Okay, he was being for real. "Why in the world would we trust you?"

"You don't have a choice." He cleared his throat and the chairs rattled. My gaze dropped. The legs of those on the bottom bent toward him. "You'll never find her, and Sally will end up doing something crazy."

"We'll take our chances."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Luke picked up my bag and placed it on the teacher's desk. "Either you all help me or I invade camp with my army. And don't even think about pretending to trust me and then backstabbing me. Don't leave me hanging after I take you to my middle guy then looking for the Labyrinth and the workshop yourselves. In fact, if you kill me I have a message that will be delivered to Kronos and he will invade camp himself. On top of that, Kronos gets stronger everytime a half blood pledges their alliance. When he crushes your little camp, campers are going to realize that he will win the war and join him. And if Kronos gets stronger, he won't wait for Percy to come to him-Kronos will just possess him. Yeah, I've thought of everything."

Anger raged inside me and the chairs really started to shake. In seconds, he'd stripped away whatever power I truly gained, leaving me helpless. "You rat bastard…"

"I'm sorry." He was at the door now, and dear gods, I was an idiot, because he looked and sounded sincere. "I didn't want it to come to this, but you understand, right? You even said it yourself. You'll do anything to protect your friends. Well, I'm out to protect myself. We really aren't that different, Thalia."

Then he opened the door and slipped out. The wall of chairs crumbled, spilling out across the floor. Kind of ironic how they fell upon themselves, just like my whole life was collapsing onto itself.

In a daze, I stepped out of the demolished classroom and made it halfway through the hall before the stairwell door swung open and Percy burst through.

His eyes were an incredibly bright gold when his gaze landed on me, and he took about four ground-eating steps before he was in front of me, grasping my shoulders. Behind him were Chiron and a slightly-confused-looking Sally, but Percy…I'd never seen him so furious, and that was saying something.

"We've been looking everywhere for you," he said, jaw clenched.

Chiron appeared at our sides. "Did you see where he went? Luke?"

Like I needed the clarification. Then I realized they didn't know I'd been with him. How much time had passed in that room? It felt like hours but could've only been minutes. And if Luke had frozen everyone outside the room, everyone wouln't have noticed except for Percy, because it wouldn't have affected him. So Luke must not have affected anything out of the room.

I swallowed, knowing Percy's reaction was going to be epic. "Yeah, he…wanted to talk."

Percy went rigid. "What?"

I glanced nervously at Chiron. His expression was serene compared to the rage boiling from Percy's gaze. "He's been watching us. For days."

Percy dropped his hands and backed off, thrusting his fingers through his hair. "I cannot believe he's here. He has a death wish."

Confusion slipped from Sally's expression, replaced by curiosity as she inched around her son. "Why was he watching us?"

And here comes the kicker, I thought. "He wants to help us get Paul."

Percy whipped around so fast he could've pulled a muscle. "Come again?"

As quickly as I could, I told them what Luke had said, leaving out the part about how Kronos getting stronger would result in him possessing Percy . I figured that was something best communicated in private. Good call, because Percy almost went full Rambo mode right there.

Chiron shook his head. "He…he can't think we would trust him."

"I don't think he cares if we do," I said, tucking my hair back. All I wanted to do was sit down and eat a box of sugar cookies, my hands beginning to shake from exhaustion.

"But does he really know where Paul is?" Sally's eyes were feverish.

"I don't know." I leaned against a locker. "There's no telling with him."

Sally shot forward, suddenly in my face. "Did he say anything—anything we can use to find him?"

I blinked, surprised by her sudden animation. "No. Not really. Nothing but this middle man."

The mortal nodded. "If he knows—"

"Don't go there, mom. He's a dangerous traitor and he's tried to kill me on several occasions. We'll find another way-if he invades camp than so be it, we'll be ready for him. " Percy interrupted her. "We are not working with—"

My legs had started to wobble, and I swayed a little to the left. I really couldn't even begin to figure out how Percy knew, but he spun toward me before I could straighten. Strong arms went around my waist, tucking me to his side.

Percy's brows were dark slashes above his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm okay. Really, I am."

"You're lying." His voice dropped low, dangerous. "Did you fight him?" And then his voice went even lower and a chill ran down my spine. "Did he try to hurt you? Because I swear right now, I will tear through this entire state—"

"I'm okay." I tried to wiggle free, but his arm was like a vice grip. "I used more of the attack first, ask questions later approach. I tired myself out, but he didn't hurt me."

Percy didn't look convinced, but he turned his attention back to his mother. "I know you want to believe that Luke can help us somehow, but he can't be trusted."

Sally looked away, a muscle ticking in her jaw. Frustration rolled off her in waves.

"Percy's right." Chiron planted his hands on his hips. At the end of the hall, the door opened and campers began to stream out. "But this is not the place to discuss any of this. After school, counselor meeting at the Big House."

And with that, he spun in the other direction and stalked off.

"I know what you're going to say," Sally said sharply. "I'm not going to do anything reckless. I promised both of you I wouldn't and I'm keeping my end of the deal. You better keep yours."

Percy wasn't relieved as he watched Sally head in the opposite direction. "This isn't good," he said.

"You have no idea." I glanced up at him and waited for the campers to disappear into their respective classrooms. "Trusting Luke may be a moot point."

His eyes narrowed as he turned, angling his body as if he was shielding me. "What are you saying?"

I prayed he didn't lose it. "Luke is desperate—more so than we realized. Not only will he invade camp if we don't agree to help him, but he wants to crush us and campers that are doubtful will most likely join Kronos. He said that every person that joins Kronos makes him stronger. If enough campers join, he will have enough strength to take over your body immediately."

Percy's reaction was as expected. There was now a fist-sized indent in the wall beside us, and I grabbed his arm, dragging him into the nearby stairwell before campers started inspecting the source of the noise.

Helpless anger seeped into the air and settled over him like a blanket. He knew what I wasn't willing to say yet. We'd been blackmailed—trapped and what could we do? Refuse to go along with Luke and let camp be invaded? Or trust someone who had already proven he wasn't worthy of such a thing?

God, we were screwed to the tenth degree.

I could tell Percy wanted to ditch school and search the camp for Luke, but he also didn't want to leave me alone…no matter how hard I worked to convince him that I was the safe by myself. I could see Luke unlike him and could defend myself. And Luke knew that as long as he stayed invisible, there was nothing we could do.

Throughout the rest of the day, I expected to see Luke again, but I didn't. When the final bell rang, I wasn't surprised when Percy met me at my last class. "I'm walking you to the meeting," he said.

"Sure." No point in arguing over this.

"Do you really think he'll invade camp if we don't help him?" I asked once we were walking towards the Big House.

"He's obviously desperate." Percy absentmindedly tapped his fingers against his thigh as we walked. "Luke only cares for himself and he's really desperate. So, yeah, I believe he'd still do it."

I gripped my bag, welcoming the lava-like anger embedding into my skin.

I glanced at Percy. "What are we going to do?"

His jaw worked. "We have two options: work with him or kill him."

My eyes widened. "And you'd be the one to do that? Not right. It shouldn't always be you."

"I know, but I can't expect someone else to carry that burden." He looked at me. "And I'm not trying to start another argument over whether or not you'd make a good Wonder Woman, but I'd never expect you or anyone else to do that, either. I know you would have done it to…defend yourself, Thalia, but I don't want that kind of guilt on your shoulders. Okay?"

I nodded. Imagining what I felt already, just magnified, twisted my insides. "I could handle it if I had to."

A heartbeat passed, and I felt his hand on my cheek. He smiled a little. "When you use your powers, you have the whitish outline-it's amazing actually. You burn bright, to me at least, and I know you could handle it, but the last thing I want is your light to be tainted by something so dark."

Stupid girlie tears burned my eyes and the Big House became a bit blurry. I couldn't let them fall, because crying over him saying something sweet really didn't help the "I'm A Badass" case. But I gave him a watery smile, and I think he understood.

Filled with nervous energy, I followed Percy into the Big House, noticing that no one else was there yet. Before I could begin the agitated wearing of the carpet, Percy caught my hand and tugged me toward him as he sat, pulling me onto his lap.

Arms wrapped around me, he buried his face in my neck. "You know what we have to do," he said softly.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Kill Luke."

He choked on his laugh. "No, Sweetheart. We're not going to kill him."

I was surprised. "We're not?"

He pulled back, meeting my questioning stare. "We're going to have to do what he wants."

Okay, I was more than surprised. More like dumbstruck. "But…but…but…"

A grin teased his lips. "Use your words, Sweetheart."

I snapped out of my stupor. "But we can't trust him. This is most likely a trap!"

"We're kind of damned if we do and damned if we don't." He shifted, sliding his hands along my lower back. "But I've given it some thought."

"What? The whole ten minutes it took us to get here?"

"I'm a quick thinker." His grin spread to his eyes, deepening their lustrous hue. "I know my mother. Sally's going to go to Luke if we don't agree." All his humor was gone in an instant. "It's what I would do if our positions were reversed. And we know Luke better than she does."

"I don't know about this, Percy."

He shrugged. "I'm not going to let him invade camp."

I frowned. "What about you? What if he's just leading you into a trap? What if he's taking you straight to Kronos so that he can possess you? Bringing Luke into the fold is going to be dangerous…and stupid."

"The risks outweighs the possible consequences."

"I hope you're right." I shivered.

"Me too." At the sound of feet approaching, I glanced out the window. Percy shifted quickly, clasping my cheeks and laying a deep one on me, and then he unceremoniously dumped me on the cushion beside him. "But my mind's made up. Be prepared. This meeting isn't going to go well."

Half sprawled across the couch, I gaped at him. Damn straight this wasn't going to go well. I sat up as Chiron and the counselors made their way in.

Annabeth immediately took up pacing in front of the TV. Her long, curly blonde hair streamed behind her. An unfamiliar, feverish glint lit her gray eyes. "So Luke is back?"

"Yes." Percy leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, watching the daughter of Athena.

She glanced at me and then quickly looked away. "Of course he would talk to her like nothing happened. They were BFFs."

What the hell was up with the BFF statement? Anger stirred inside me, but I pushed it down. "It wasn't a particularly friendly conversation."

"Then what do we do?" Clarisse asked.

"Kill him," Annabeth said, stopping in front of the table.

At first, I thought she was kidding, because this was Annabeth. In the fall, I'd once seen her scoop up a pile of dirt full of ants and move them out of the flowerbed so they wouldn't be suffocated under the mulch. But as I stared at her—as the whole room stared at her—I came to realize she was serious.

My mouth dropped open. "Annabeth…?"

Her shoulders squared. "Don't. Seriously. He kidnapped me and it's partially his fault that Lee's dead." She glared at Percy.

"Still an accident." Percy reminded, fingers curling under his chin.

"Yeah, well, I want him dead." She scoffed. "And since when have you refrained from killing? You're an assassin, for Zeus' sake!"

"I refrain when it means that people I know will die." Percy shot back, raw emotion cutting through me like a knife. "If we don't work with him, he will invade us and kill campers."

I jumped in before he could continue. It wasn't his job to always rush to my defense. "Calm down, the both of you. No one's killing anyone."

Annabeth waved me off. She turned to Chiron. "We have to do something before someone else gets hurt."

Chiron looked just shocked. "My dear, we're not—"

"Killers?" Her face flushed red and then paled. "We have killed before to protect ourselves! We kill monsters all the time. Percy has killed so many people-most of them mortals!"

Percy flinched, and I immediately took offense to this. He may not show how much killing bothered him, but I knew it did. "Annabeth," I said, and surprisingly, she looked at me. "I know you're hurting right now, but this… This isn't you."

She sucked in a sharp breath. "You don't know me and you don't know shit. Luke kidnapped me and if he hadn't done so, Lee would have never gone after me. Lee…" Her voice caught. "Lee would still be alive."

Chiron stiffened. "That's enough, Annabeth. I don't want to eject you from this meeting."

Annabeth quieted and I sat back against the cushion, feeling as if the walls had shifted closer. Part of me almost couldn't believe Annabeth wanted Luke dead. Annabeth used to follow Luke like a lost puppy when we were on the run together. At one point, I was sure she had developed a crush on him. This isn't wasn't the same girl. Not the girl who had come into my life, wielding a badass axe and feeling just as scared as I had. This wasn't my best friend.

And then it hit me.

Annabeth wasn't my best friend anymore.

Gods, realizing that seemed more important than anything else that was going on. Yeah, that was stupid when the big picture was called into play, but Annabeth was important to me, and I had failed her.

Beside me, Sally shifted forward. "This is exactly what Kronos wants...chaos and disunion. He's already separating us and his actual plan hasn't even started yet."

Annabeth looked like she hadn't even considered that. She pivoted around, playing with a strand of her hair—a nervous habit of hers. She sighed and then she sat on the coffee table, her back to us.

From the arm of an recliner, Michael Yew sighed. "Guys, whether we like the idea of killing someone or not, we have to do something."

"We do," Percy agreed. He glanced at me quickly before facing the group. "Arguing about what to do with Luke is a waste of time. If we don't help him get his automaton and in turn get Paul back, he's going to invade camp and he's counting on campers to join Kronos' cause. The more campers join, the stronger Kronos. And if he gets strong enough, he'll use my body as a host."

A round of gasps erupted and instinctively, my head whipped toward Sally. She looked like she was hyperventilating.

"Mom?" Percy moved towards his mother but the mortal shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

She ran towards the door, stopping briefly before leaving. "I just need a second, Percy. I'll be right back...I-I just can't go through this again. I can't."

And with that, Percy's mother ran out the door. The door frame smacked and the sound seemed to jolt the room.

"If our father uses you as a host...we are truly doomed." Chiron muttered, his tail flickering out. And then he did something unheard of, for him at least. He swore.

Annabeth stood again, her gray eyes in deep thought. "Percy's the child of the prophecy-not only will Kronos have a durable body because of Percy's titan half but he can take down Olympus if he controls that prophecy."

"Then it's done," Sally was back, tears gone and spine straightened. "We help Luke, and he helps us."

Annabeth whirled. "You guys are freaking insane! We cannot help Lee's co-murderer!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Chiron asked. "Let him invade this camp and let Percy become the titan lord's host?"

Her eyes rolled. "No. Like I said, we kill him. That will stop him from doing anything."

I shook my head, stunned by the ferocity in her voice. I also believed Luke probably had to die, because I had tried to kill him myself, but hearing Annabeth like this cut through me with a dull knife.

Percy stood, drawing in a long breath. "We are not going to kill Luke."

The daughter of Athena had her hands balled into fists. "Your call. Not mine."

"We are going to help him and we're going to keep an eye on him," Percy continued sternly. "And none of us are going to kill him."

"Bullshit," she hissed.

On her feet, Clarisse took a step forward. "Annabeth, I think you need to sit down and think about this. You've never killed a person before."

She folded her slender arms and her chin went up a notch. "There's always a first time."

Clarisse's eyes widened as she slid a look at me that said, Holy crap. Even the daughter of the war god wasn't down for this. I wished I knew what to do or say, but there was nothing.

Quickly losing patience, Percy mirrored Annabeth's stance. "This isn't up for discussion, Annabeth."

"You're right. There's nothing you can say that will convince me that his life should be spared."

"We don't have a choice. Luke has it set up that if anything happens to him, Kronos will be alerted and the camp will be invaded. We can't kill him."

She was undeterred. "Then we find out who has the message or however Luke's planning to send it and take care of them!"

Percy's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Yes!"

He turned away, seconds from losing it. My stomach rolled. This whole situation was all wrong.

Beside me, Sally leaned forward, taking on the same position that Percy had earlier. "Is your need for vengeance more important than finding Paul?"

She didn't look away, but her lips pressed into a grim line.

All eyes were on Sally. "Because, you promised you'd help me find him. Right now, you're not helping at all."

"You ask a lot," The demigod said hoarsely, lower lip trembling. But then her shoulders slumped, and she turned, walking to the front door. Without saying a word, she left.

Clarisse was already behind her, shooting Percy a look. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thank you," he said, rubbing his palm along his jaw. "Well, that went wonderfully."

"Did you really expect her or any of us to be okay with it?" Micheal asked.

Percy snorted. "No, but I have a problem with my best friend so willing to kill."

"I can't…" I couldn't even finish. Going into this, I knew it wasn't going to be good, but I wasn't expect her to want to go all serial killer—never Annabeth.

Chiron directed the conversation back to the present. "How do we contact Luke? It's not something I can or wish to discuss with him in class."

Everyone looked at me…everyone except Percy. "What?"

"Well, you can see him also so the next time he comes around, tell him." Beckendorf said, glancing at the clock.

I opened my mouth but stopped when the door flew open.

To everyone else, it would seem like the breeze opened the door but Chiron and I knew better.

Pefect blonde hair. Rumpled khakis and a blue v-neck. It was almost revolting how attractive he was.

"I'm hoping for good news..." He trailed off, looking at me and the centaur expectantly.

Chiron nodded at me and I told him we'd work with him.

"Excellent." Luke rubbed his hands together, smiling. "We should meet tomorrow. Le Parker Meridien."

"Tomorrow evening—Saturday." My voice rang throughout the silent room. "He wants to meet at le Parker Meridien."

"I'm coming with her." Percy said in Luke's direction.

I looked at the son of Hermes expectantly.

"Fine." He snapped, the jagged scar across his face becoming more visible. "Just the two of you. No gimmicks. No Percy-ing."

"You scared of us?" I challenged, throwing him a look.

He seemed to hesitate but scoffed. "No, I'll see you tomorrow then."

I nodded and watched him leave. The door shut and everyone seemed to relax. "It's done."

Chiron cleared his throat. "From now on, we have to tread carefully. Act normal around your siblings, perform cabin inspections and daily activities as normal. Do not let on that anything is amiss. Tell them the intruder is now gone. In the interim, I must report this to the gods and perhaps we can get Hecate to remove Luke's invisibility spell. In my abscence, Quintus shall take over."

"Quintus?" I questioned.

"The new swordmans trainer." Beckendorf informed me.

I nodded and listened as my mentor continued to speak. "Seeing as she is the only person who can see Luke, Thalia will need protection. Luke is most likely under the impression that she is still the child of prophecy. He may try to get her on Kronos' side or harm her."

"I can handle Luke, Chiron." I insisted but the centaur shook his head.

"We can't trust him." He said.

"I'll look over her." Percy responded, voice low.

"You should stay with your mom." I advised.

"I'll look after you." Annabeth volunteered. My head whipped around at the sound her voice; I hadn't even noticed she came in.

I guess that kind of worked out because I needed to explain things to her. "Yeah, okay."

"We'll take shifts." Percy insisted and surprisingly, the daughter of Athena didn't protest.

"Good." Chiron commented. "It's settled. Don't forget the war games are tonight. All of you, tell your siblings that nothing is wrong. Meeting adjourned."

No one looked relieved. There was a very good chance that working with Luke was going to blow up in our faces like there was no tomorrow. But our choices were limited. Like Percy had said, Sally would go to Luke whether or not we did. And working with the enemy we knew was better than the one we didn't.

But something cold and icky opened up in my chest.

Not because we were going to go down this road with Luke and not because Annabeth wanted Luke to die. But because deep down, underneath the layers of skin, muscle, and bone, hidden away from everyone, even Percy, I also wanted Luke dead. A possible invasion didn't faze me… My moral code wasn't at all offended by it. And there was something very, very wrong with that.

* * *

Once outside, I felt an arm slip around my waist.

"Hey." I said quietly.

"Hi." Percy tried to smile but it came out wrong-he was seriously worried.

"It's going to be okay," I told him. "I mean, we know what Luke is capable of and we know not to trust him so at least we're not going in completely blind, right?"

"That's true."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Do you think we could stop by the amphitheater? I want to meet the new swordsman trainer."

Percy's left brow rose but he took a right turn and we entered the amphitheater.

The first thing I saw was a massive lump of black fur. On closer inspection, I realized it was a hellhound and it looked quite comfy chewing the head of a practice dummy.

"Is that a hellhound or a tank?" Percy asked, uncapping riptide.

I threw him a look and slapped my bracelet, transforming it into my shield of terror. "You go right, I'll take the left." I twirled my mace canister once and it turned into a spear.

Before we could even move, the hell hound stood up on its hind legs and delivered a powerful bark that shook the arena.

"Now!" I yelled and dove to the right.

I ran up to the massive beast and swung my spear only to be met with a clash of metal.

Instinctively, I reared back and struck the blade, knocking it out of its owners' hand.

"Woah, truce!" The man raised his hand and I looked at him in disbelief.

"That's a hellhound!" I yelled at the older man. He had a gray hair and was dressed in full-body armor. With a huff, I realized he must be Quintus.

"It's also my pet." He stated then bent down to pet the hellhound. "Say hello to our guests, Mrs. O'Leary."

"WOOF!" The creature barked and bounded around Percy happily. Percy looked just as dumbstruck as I was but started petting the hellhound.

"She's kind of cute." He remarked, letting Mrs. O'Leary sniff him.

The swordsman trainer had a strange look on his face as he watched the two. "How peculiar."

"What?" I asked, retracting my shield and spear.

"Nothing." The older man said a little to quickly then turned to me, smiling. "I've heard a lot about you, daughter of Zeus. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Quintus."

"Thalia." I shook his outstretched hand while Percy stood up.

The demigod turned towards us, extending his hand. "Percy."

Quintus shook Percy's hand, seeming to search for something in his eyes before retracting his hand.

The swordsman trainer looked at us, fascinated. "You two are walking wonders, you do realize that?"

He motioned at me. "A girl returned to life after being a tree for years." He turned toward Percy, eyes widening. "A boy who is somehow a demigod, a demititan, and mortal all at once. How rare."

Quintus took a step towards Percy, kind of getting all up in his grill. "There's only one halfblood in history that created due to double paternity. Aegeus, one of the immortal kings of Athens, found a bride, Aethra who was the daughter of king Pittheus of Trozen. Following the instructions of Athena in a dream, Aethra left a sleeping Aegeus and waded across to the island of Sphairia that lay close to Troezen's shore. There she poured a libation to Poseidon, and was possessed by the sea god in the night. The mix gave Theseus a combination of divine as well as mortal characteristics in his nature, such double paternity."

"Yeah, my dad used to be real wild." Percy took a step back but Quintus managed to get even closer.

The old man actually touched Percy's face and took a soul-searching look into his eyes. If I didn't know any better, it seemed like Quintus recognized those eyes because immediately, he jumped back.

"Well, thanks for the history crash course, old man but I'm afraid we have to get going." Percy took my hand and jerked his head toward the entrance. "Say goodbye to the creepy man, Sweetheart."

"It's was nice meeting you." I offered then frowned. "Hey, are you a child of Athena by chance?"

Quintus' gray eyes darkened and for a second, I swore I saw a flash of fear and then it was gone, replaced by a meek smile. "Why, yes. How'd you know?"

"Just a feeling." I waved and let Percy lead me toward the door. Mid-stride, I stopped, looking at a stack of boxes in the corner. When I realized there were words printed on the box, it took my dyslexia a moment to decipher it. It read: TRIPLE G'S RANCH. Along the bottom, in smaller letters: OPEN WITH CARE. TRIPLE G RANCH IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, MAIMING, OR EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL DEATHS.

Quintus had a spark in his eyes. "Oh, it's just a little surprise for the war games tonight. I think you'll enjoy it, Thalia."

"Okay..." Once again, I let Percy lead me out of the amphitheater. Once outside, I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding.

"That guys was..."

"Creepy, disturbed, insane?" Percy offered then shook his head. "The funny thing was, I couldn't get a read on him."

"A read?" I asked.

"It's part of my time powers. I can see bits and pieces of someone's past if I concentrate and look at them. It feels like I'm actually there, experiencing significant events in their life." He explained, running a hand through his hair.

"That's how you knew my last name when we first met." I concluded. Zoë told about this power last winter but I'd never heard it from Percy himself. "So you didn't see anything when you looked into his eyes? Was it just dark?"

"No, I looked at him and nothing happened. No images, no darkness, nothing." He answered, shrugging. "I was still in the arena, you were still there and he was all up in my goods, being a McCreep."

"That's strange..." I commented and then was sidetracked by campers streaming into the mess hall. The conch must've rang while we were still in the arena. "Let's get some lunch-I'm starving."

Percy chuckled but let me take his hand and lead him toward the smell of burnt food. Once there, I got a plate of nachos and donated a portion of it to my father. Percy left my side and sat the Poseidon table, alone. Camp had this rule where a camper had to sit with at their godly parent's table with their siblings. That seemed like a decent rule but Percy and I both had godly parents that had sworn not to have any more children so we sat alone.

To keep from dying of boredom, I would make silly faces at Percy and he would occasionally entertain me by sticking out his tongue.

Thirty minutes later, Chiron dismissed us and reminded everyone of the war games taking place tonight. Once free, Percy stopped by my table and we walked outside together, talking about seeing a movie sometime.

"Hey, it's my shift now." Annabeth came up to us, giving me a small smile.

"Right..." Percy trailed off, bouncing an apple off his knee.

"Pass it here, Jackson." The blonde said, patting her knee.

Percy shrugged and tossed it over. Surprisingly, Annabeth managed to bounce it off her knee and shoulder before tossing it back to Percy. Percy did a few show-off moves and tossed it back.

Annabeth laughed and bounced the apple off her elbow. "Remember when we played hacky sack during our first quest, Seaweed Brain?"

I almost gasped, surprised that she called Percy by his nickname. The nickname _she_ gave him.

"And you still suck balls at it, Wisegirl." Percy grinned, bouncing the apple back to her.

"Low blow, Jackson." She countered, letting the fruit fall and throwing a punch at Percy.

The demigod caught her fist mid-swing and grinned smugly. "I win."

"You cheated." She pouted then burst into laughter.

I was stunned. I hadn't heard her laugh since...I couldn't remember the last time she laughed. Percy was over the shock and they both started cracking up over nothing.

When Annabeth laughed resided, she had a smile on her face.

Percy also had a smile on his face which made my heart ache-he had really missed his best friend. "Wanna play another round?"

"Yeah," Annabeth started excitedly then seemed to catch herself, realizing that she was talking to her boyfriend's 'murderer.' She sighed, stepping away from him. The smile on her face was gone, replaced by a scowl. "Sometimes, it's too easy to fall back into old habits."

Percy's face fell but he turned toward me, offering a smile. "I'll see you later tonight." He planted a quick kiss on my cheek before walking away, towards the big house; most likely going to visit his mother.

"You can't stay mad at him forever." I told the daughter of Athena.

"I can and I will." Her voice didn't waver but then she sighed again. "I didn't even realize what I was doing."

"It's okay to still want to be his friend, Annabeth. You two were best friends, practically inseparable-"

"Well, that was in the past." Annabeth voice was harsh but then she pulled back. "I'm sorry I said that you didn't know shit. You know alot of shit. Maybe even more shit than I do."

I laughed at her repetitive cursing, wondering where she'd picked up that habit. "It's cool. Besides, no one knows more shit than Annabeth Chase. You are the queen of knowing shit." I did a little bow.

"Thank you, Lady Thalia." She did a courtesy, giggling. She looped an arm through mine and steered us toward my cabin. "Let's make a plan for the war games. I want you on my team."

"It's a deal, nerd."

Over the next hour, Annabeth and I drew up a battle plan for the war game tonight. With every passing minute, we seemed to fall back into old habits. She told me about possibly adding an architecture class at camp and I suggested a Punk Rock music appreciation class.

"Oh please, only Apollo's kids would join that." She laughed then looked away, throat working on her next words. "Lee was a son of Apollo."

I bit my lip. "Hey, I have to tell you something. You're not going to believe me and I can't really prove it per se but I need you to hear me out."

Annabeth's tone was serious. "Okay, you look wigged out. What is it?"

I took a deep breath, a feeling of dread rising inside me. "Back on Mount Tam-"

"Knock knock. Time for the games." The son of Poseidon and Kronos let himself into my cabin. He took a good look at us, noticing that we were dressed in battle armor.

"You guys are partners?" He asked.

"Yep." I answered.

"You're going to cream the competition and kick my ass, aren't you?"

"That's the plan." Annabeth confirmed.

"Great...I'm going to partner up with Grover. If I have a loser as my partner, maybe people won't be surprised when I lose."

"That's a plan worthy of Athena." The blonde passed Percy, no longer hostile. "Know when to cut your losses."

Percy left to get suited up and returned a few moments later so we could head to the games together. All the teams meet at in the woods and although it was relatively dark, I still managed to recognize a few people.

Clarisse was paired with Silena. Beckendorf and Micheael Yew were a team. Percy had joined forces with Grover, just like he said he would and of course, the Stolls were a team. Then there was Annabeth and me. This war game was also kind of a tournament. This past week, several teams had competed each night. Whichever team won this round would advance to the second round. They would join the winners of the previous night.

Everyone gathered around as Quintus approached us, his face gaunt in the dim torch light. "Your goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters. Each has a silk package. Only one holds the laurels. You must find the wreath before the other teams. And, of course…you will have to slay the monster to get it, and stay alive."

The crowd started murmuring excitedly. The task sounded pretty straightforward.

"And...begin!"

When everyone started running, it looked like a scene straight out of the Hunger Games. Clarisse was already knocking out the competition and no one had even seen a monster yet. Annabeth pulled me aside and we ran toward the woods. We found tracks almost immediately—scuttling marks made by something with many legs. We began to follow the trail.

We jumped a creek and heard some twigs snapping nearby. We crouched behind a boulder, but it was only the Stoll brothers tripping through the woods and cursing. Their dad was the god of thieves, but they were about as stealthy as buffaloes.

Once the Stolls had passed, we forged deeper into the west woods where the monsters were wilder. We were standing on a ledge overlooking a marshy pond when Annabeth tensed.

"Listen," She said, straining her neck. I heard the sound of rustling. A branch snapped in the woods. Dry leaves rustled. Something large was moving in the trees, just beyond the ridge.

"That's not the Stoll brothers," Annabeth whispered.

Together we drew our swords.

We got to Zeus's Fist, a huge pile of boulders in the middle of the west woods. It was a natural landmark where campers often rendezvoused on hunting expeditions, but now there was nobody around.

"Over there," Annabeth whispered.

"No, I think it's from behind us."

"Hey." A voice whispered.

Annabeth and I turned. And when I saw who it was, I wanted to clock him upside the head. "Percy, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Grover?"

"I was and then he saw Juniper's tree and went to talk to her so I guess we're just going to have to make this team a threesome."

"Don't make throw up my dinner, Jackson." Annabeth snapped.

"It's not my fault you have a dirty mind." He countered.

"Guys..." I tugged on my friend's armor, eyes focused on the massive creature barreling toward us.

"I'll have you know my mind is very clean!" Annabeth continued, hands on her hips. "Everything is compartmentalized, unlike yours."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Guys!" I yelled but neither of them were listening.

"You know what it means." Annabeth said.

"Guys! Monster at two o'clock! Impending death!" I yelled, finally get their attention.

"Where?" Percy uncapped Riptide, looking around. He stopped looking when he heard a low growl. "Oh. There."

Coming out of the woods was a glistening amber insect, ten feet long, with jagged pincers, an armored tail, and a stinger as long as my sword. A scorpion. Tied to its back was a red silk package.

"One of us gets behind it," Annabeth said, as the thing clattered toward us. "Cuts off its tail while the other distracts it in front."

"I'll take point," I said. "You've got the invisibility hat." She nodded. We'd fought together so many times we knew each other's moves. We could do this, easy. But it all went wrong when the other two scorpions appeared from the woods.

"Three?" Annabeth said. "That's not possible! The whole woods, and half the monsters come at us?"

I swallowed. One, we could take. Two, with a little luck. Three? Doubtful.

The scorpions scurried toward us, whipping their barbed tails like they'd come here just to kill us. Annabeth, Percy, and I put our backs against the nearest boulder.

"Climb?" Percy suggested.

"No time," Annabeth replied.

She was right. The scorpions were already surrounding us. They were so close I could see their hideous mouths foaming, anticipating an ice juicy meal of demigods.

"Look out!" Annabeth parried away a stinger with the flat of her blade. Percy stabbed with Riptide, but the scorpion backed out of range. We clambered sideways along the boulders, but the scorpions followed us. I slashed at another one, but going on the offensive was too dangerous. If I went for the body, the tail stabbed downward. If I went for the tail, the thing's pincers came from either side and tried to grab me. All we could do was defend, and we wouldn't be able to keep that up for very long.

I took another step sideways, and suddenly there was nothing behind me.

It was a crack between two of the largest boulders, something I'd passed by a million times, but…

"In here," I said.

Percy lunged at a scorpion then looked at me like I was crazy. "In there? It's too narrow."

"Ditto." Annabeth looked like she'd rather stay out here and fight the scorpions.

"I'll cover you guys. Go!"

Both of them ducked behind me and started squeezing between the two boulders.

Annabeth grabbed my armor straps, and suddenly I was tumbling into a pit that hadn't been there a moment before. I could see the scorpions above us, the purple evening sky and the trees, and then the hole shut like the lens of a camera, and we were in complete darkness.

Our breathing echoed against stone. It was wet and cold. I was sitting on a bumpy floor that seemed to be made of bricks.

Percy lifted Riptide. The faint glow of the blade was just enough to illuminate Annabeth's frightened face and the mossy stone walls on either side of us.

"Wh-where are we?" Annabeth looked around.

"Safe from the scorpions, anyway," I tried to sound calm, but I was freaking out. The crack between the boulders couldn't have led into a cave. I would've known if there was a cave here; I was sure of it. It was like the ground had opened up and swallowed us.

I lifted my spear for light.

"It's a long corridor," I muttered, reaching for Percy's hand.

He gripped my hand. "It must be some sort of passage way. Another entrance into camp."

We started forward, but Annabeth stopped us. "Don't take another step," she warned. "We need to find the exit."

She sounded really scared now.

"It's okay," I promised. "It's right—"

I looked up and realized I couldn't see where we'd fallen in. The ceiling was solid stone. The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly in both directions.

"Two steps back," Annabeth advised.

Percy and I stepped backward together like we were in a minefield.

"Okay," she said. "Help me examine the walls."

"What for?" Percy asked

"The mark of Daedalus," she replied briefly.

"You think this is the labyrinth?" My mouth hung open.

"Got it!" she said with relief. She set her hand on the wall and pressed against a tiny fissure, which began to glow blue. A Greek symbol appeared-the Ancient Greek Delta.

The roof slid open and we saw night sky, stars blazing. It was a lot darker than it should've been. Metal ladder rungs appeared in the side of the wall, leading up, and I could hear people yelling our names.

"Percy! Thalia! Annabeth!" Grover's voice was the loudest, but others were calling out too.

I looked nervously at my friends. Then we began to climb.

We made our way around the rocks and ran into Clarisse and a bunch of other campers carrying torches.

"Where have you two been?" Clarisse demanded. "We've been looking forever."

"But we were gone only a few minutes." I said.

Chiron trotted up, followed by Juniper and Grover.

"Percy!" Grover said, relieved. "You guys okay?"

"We're fine," I said. "We fell in a hole. There were three scorpions after us, so we ran and hid in the rocks. But we were only gone a minute."

"You've been missing for almost an hour," Chiron said. "The game is over."

Clarisse was wearing the gold laurels, but she didn't even brag about winning them, which wasn't like her. "A hole?" she said suspiciously. "You found the Labyrinth, didn't you?"

Annabeth took a deep breath. She looked around at the other campers. "Chiron…maybe we should talk about this at the Big House."

A bunch of campers started asking questions, but Chiron raised his hand for silence. "Counselors, meeting at the Big House now. Grover, your presence is required as well." He stared at boulders as if he'd just noticed how dangerous they were. "The rest of you, back to your cabins. Get some sleep. A game well played, but curfew is past!" There was a lot of mumbling and complaints, but the campers drifted off, talking among themselves and giving me suspicious looks.

The other counselors, Grover, and I walked over to the Big House. Once there, Percy brought his mom downstairs and the meeting began.

"It appears as though the three of you have found an entrance to the Labyrinth, which also means it can also be used as an invasion route to camp." Chiron took a deep breath and the entire room was tense. "I've decided that a quest should be assigned. A group of you are going with Luke anyway, we might as well have a prophecy on our side that may provide some clarification." He looked between Percy, Annabeth, and me. "Well, which one of you will lead this quest?"

Before I could even speak, Percy stood up. "I will."

"Very well." Chiron nodded and I watched as Percy went up to the attic. Many heartbeats later, he reappeared, face as white as a sheet.

"Well?" I asked.

He looked at me but I had a feeling he wasn't really seeing me. He swallowed before speaking. " _You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze,_ _to find the two you seek to raise_

 _First, you must play by the ghost king's hand,_ _Then The child of Athena will take the final stand._ _And with one final breath..."_

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I,um, don't remember the next line."

I ran the lines through my head a few times then sucked in sharp breath before glancing at Annabeth. She was a child of Athena.

Apparently Annabeth was thinking of that too because she was looking a little pale.

"Pan!" Grover exclaimed excitedly. "We're seeking to raise two people-Pan and Paul. Percy, I have to go on this quest!"

Before the demigod could reply, Chiron cleared his throat. "Percy will pick his quest mates tomorrow. There's been enough excitement for one day. Meeting dismissed."

The satyr looked like he wanted to disagree but remained quiet.

One by one, all the couselors, Grover, and Chiron left, leaving me and the Jacksons alone.

Percy was currently steering his mother up the stairs, trying to get her back to bed.

"We're really going to rescue him." She repeated over and over again. "I'm going to see him again."

I took this as my cue to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, Percy. Good night, Sally!"

The mortal mumbled a farewell and Percy nodded at me. "I'll stop by your cabin at twelve and we'll go meet Luke."

"Yeah, sure." I let myself out and the cold, January air hit me. I had a bad feeling about all of this: the quest, Luke, and the Labyrinth.

Nothing seemed to add up and that scared the crap out of me.

* * *

 **A/N-PLEASE READ! Okay so now that I've gotten your attention-hello, glad you made it down here. Um okay, this whole fic will be answering all the opened sub-plot like Percy's titan side taking over and whatnot. So shit's about to go down which means it going to be VERY DRAMATIC. Like from this point on, I claim no responsibility for the direction of this quest. My brain does all of this, I am just a vessel. Like when they go into the Labyrinth, chaos and drama will ensue. They're going in around chapter five/sort of six. Like half of the group is going in during chapter five and the other half will be there in chapter 6. It doesn't make any sense now but it will in the future. So if you don't like drama, don't read this. Like straight up, shit's about to hit the ceiling big time.**

 **You've been warned.**

 **And one last point, in the last fic _Untamed_ I had Aphrodite say that Percy is going to get another love interest but I just changed my mind and decided that Thalia's going to have the love interest. So I've gone back and changed that in the last fic and I just wanted to tell you that. Um, I don't think I can update on Tuesday but I will update next saturday. Next week, I have to explain to guys the whole updating schedule for this story because I'm thinking I will have to update twice a week. I'll explain that next update though, thanks for reading and I'll see you then!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N-I'm one of those people who doesn't do anything on the weekend usually so if I have a busy weekend, it really drains me. Like I don't understand how people go do something every single saturday and aren't exhausted. Anyway, that's what happened this saturday so I wasn't able to get this chapter up on time which is really ironic because I started writing this chapter early. Well, happy reading!**

* * *

 **The majority of my day was a blur**. Annabeth was on Thalia-sitting duty so I spent most of the day with her. We didn't talk about the fact that I was going to meet Luke later today, instead she told me more about architecture. I had a really good time with her which made me miss our old friendship. Unfortunately, five o'clock came and Percy picked me up.

Currently, we were pulling into Le Parker Mierdien's parking lot a little before six.

"Kronos isn't going to bust up in here," Percy reassured me, pulling the keys out of the engine. "It's not his style, if you really think about it. Why go through all of this work-he could've just killed or kidnapped us at camp."

"But Luke could freeze the entire place."

"So can I."

"Ah, yes." I fought a grin. "I almost forgot you could do that."

He reached over, flicking me gently under the chin. "Yeah, you better remember that. Plus, I'm not a show-off."

Opening the door, I laughed. "You? Not a show-off? Okay."

"What?" Fake outrage crossed his face as he shut the door and loped around the front of the mustang. "I'm very modest."

"If I remember correctly, you said modesty was for saints and losers." The bantering helped ease my nerves. "Modest is not a word I'd use to describe you."

He dropped his arm over my shoulder. "I never said such a thing."

"Liar."

Percy shot me a roguish grin as we headed in. I scanned the restaurant for Luke, my gaze dipping over the natural rock clusters jutting out of the floors and beside the booths, but he wasn't here yet. The host seated us in a booth near the back, cozied up to the roaring fireplace. I tried to keep myself busy by ripping the napkin into tiny pieces.

"Are you going to pull a Grover and eat that or are you making hamster bedding?" he asked.

I laughed. "Organic kitty litter, actually."

"Nice."

A redheaded waitress appeared, wearing a bright smile. "Percy, how are you doing? Haven't seen you in ages."

"Good. How about you, Jocelyn?"

Of course I had to give her more than a passing look, since the two were on a first-name basis. Not out of jealousy or anything. Yeah, right. Jocelyn was older than us but not by much. Maybe early twenties, but she was really, really pretty with all that red hair piled up in thick curls, surrounding a porcelain complexion.

Okay, she was beautiful…as in, Aphrodite beautiful.

I sat straighter.

"I've been real good," she said. "I stepped down from managing since the babies. Working part-time instead, since they're a handful, but you should visit soon, especially since Sally…" She seemed to be looking for the right words. "Since Sally has come back. Roland would love to see both of you."

"We'd love to do that." Percy glanced at me and winked slyly. "By the way, Jocelyn, this is my girlfriend, Thalia."

I felt a ridiculous surge of pleasure as I extended my hand. "Hi."

Jocelyn blinked, and I'd swear her face got even whiter. "Thalia...as in _Thalia's_ tree?"

"Yeah, except I'm not a tree anymore. Clearly."

"Girlfriend?" She echoed.

"Girlfriend." Percy repeated.

She recovered fast and shook my hand. A faint spark jumped from my skin to hers. "Welcome back to the land of the living I guess," she said, releasing my hand. "Uh, what can I get you two?"

"Two Cokes," he ordered.

Jocelyn skedaddled off after that, and I raised my brows at Percy. "Jocelyn…?"

He slid over another napkin for my pile. "Are you jealous, Sweetheart?"

"Pfft. Whatever." I stopped tearing. "Okay, maybe a little until I realized she was a halfblood."

"Good job, Sherlock. She's a daughter of Aphrodite." He stood, coming to my side while saying, "Scoot."

I scooted over. "Was she a camper?"

"Yeah, I met her when I was fourteen. Just looking for information about Kronos and whatnot." He dropped his arm over the back of the booth and stretched out his legs. "Yeah, she's good people."

Jocelyn returned with our drinks and asked if we wanted to wait until our friend joined us to place our orders. That was a big fat no. Percy ordered a meatloaf sandwich while I decided to eat half his order. I wasn't sure I could stomach anything more.

He angled his body toward mine as soon as he finished deciding between fries and mashed potatoes—fries won. "Nothing's going to happen," he said, voice low. "Okay?"

Putting on a brave face, I nodded as I looked around the diner. "I just want to get this over with."

Not even a minute later, the bells above the door jingled and before I could glance up, Percy stiffened beside me. And I knew—I knew right then. My stomach lurched into my throat.

Perfect down to every strand, blonde hair—styled neatly with a ton of gel—came into view, and then blue eyes locked on our table from the door.

Luke was here.

"I can see him." Percy whispered and I nodded, biting my lip.

Luke had a confident air about him as he walked up to our table, but it had nothing on Percy's deadly swagger or the cool and arrogant smile he was wearing that instant. It was a purely predatory look.

Suddenly, I wasn't sure a public place was a good idea.

"Luke," Percy drawled, his fingers tapping along the booth behind me. "I guess you're not as much of a coward as I thought."

"Well, I figured I'd show my face sometime if we're going to work together." Luke slid into the seat across from us. His gaze dropped to the pile of torn napkins, then to me. "Hey, Thalia."

Percy leaned forward. The smile was still on his face, but his words were like the arctic winds. "You don't talk to her. At all."

There was no stopping He-Man when he came out to play, but I pinched him under the table. Percy ignored me.

"Well, only talking to you is going to make this conversation real rough."

"Like I care?" Percy said, placing his other hand on the table.

I exhaled slowly. "Okay. Let's get to the point. Where's your middle man, Luke?"

Luke's gaze slid to mine again. "I—"

A glass of water shot across the table, spilling all over Luke's shirt. He growled and began to dab his shirt with some napkins, his eyes narrowing on Percy.

Percy smiled.

"Look, you tool, you can't intimidate me." Luke's voice dripped with contempt. "So you're just wasting time and pissing me off."

"We'll see about that."

Jocelyn returned with Percy's massive meal and took Luke's order. Like me, he only requested a soda. When we were alone once more, I focused on Luke.

"Where is this middle man?"

"If I tell you, I'd have to trust that this one here," He motioned towards Percy. "isn't going to give me a cement swim."

"Don't give me ideas, Castellan." Percy toyed around with his knife, casually pointing it towards Luke's heart.

I rolled my eyes at the mafia reference. "Trust is a two-way street."

"And we don't trust you," Percy threw out.

Luke drew in a long breath. "I don't blame you. I've given you no reason to trust me other than the fact that Kronos doesn't know what I'm actually doing. He thinks I'm happy to be his host. That I've drunk the Kool-Aid and all."

Percy snickered. "And you've done all of this to save your own ass."

He ignored that comment. "The fact is, I'm going to help you find Paul."

"But you're also threatening us." Percy's fingers tightened on his knife.

Luke shot him a duh look. "But would you have agreed to help me if I didn't?"

"True." Percy took a bite, chewing slowly. "Regardless, you either have a lot of courage or are incredibly stupid to come back here. I'm going to go with the incredibly stupid part."

Luke snorted. "Yeah. Okay."

A dangerous look shadowed Percy's face, and for a moment, no one moved as Jocelyn returned with Luke's drink. The second she was gone, Percy leaned forward, his eyes starting to shine behind his lashes. "Technically, you killed one of our own. You think I'm the only person you have to look over your shoulder and watch out for? You're dead wrong."

A thread of fear finally showed in Luke's churning eyes, but his voice was even. "The same goes for you, buddy."

Percy sat back, eyes hooded. "As long as we're on the same page."

Luke's gaze fell to his glass. "Here's the deal. I know where Paul is and I need to get to the workshop. I've only been in the Labyrinth once, but I know someone who's been in there a few times. He will know exactly what monsters and whatnot are in there. It will save us time and keep us from going in opposite directions if we know what's coming."

A realization dawned on me. "You're on a deadline, aren't you? You know very well we could just go in there and take on every monster we pass and just have Sally navigate if we get lost."

"Go figure." Percy chuckled. "Luke is virtually useless."

Luke's lips thinned. "I know where the workshop is and therefore I know that Paul is around that area. And yes, Kronos expects me to be back in a week and half. So without me, you'd just be running around the Labyrinth begging to be captured by Kronos."

"And my fist is begging to be in your face," Percy shot back.

I rolled my eyes. "Not only are you asking us to trust you but to trust someone else?"

"That someone else is just like us, Thalia." Luke dropped his elbows on the table, rocking his glass. "He's a halfblood and a powerful one at that. He's not going to lead us astray."

Yeah, I wasn't liking any of this. "Why isn't this powerful half-blood at camp then?"

Luke's smile lacked warmth. "You already know the answer to that."

I tucked my hair back on both sides, feeling cagey. "Okay, say we do this; how do you get in contact with him?"

"You won't believe anything unless you're there to witness it for yourselves." And he was right about that. "I know where to find the Ghost King."

Percy stiffened beside me. "His name is the Ghost King?"

Luke nodded. "He's not going to be accessible by cell or e-mail. We'll have to go to him."

"And where is that?" Percy asked.

"Every Saturday night he hangs at a club a few miles outside of Brooklyn," Luke explained. "He'll be there tonight."

Percy laughed, and I wondered what the hell he found so funny. "The only clubs in that part of New York are strip clubs."

"You would think that." Smugness crept over Luke's expression. "But this is a different kind of club." He glanced at me. "Females don't show up in jeans and sweaters."

I gave him a bland look as I plucked a fry from Percy's plate. "What do they show up in? Nothing?"

"The closest thing to nothing." His smile was real now, causing his blue eyes to sparkle, reminding me of the Luke I first met. "Bad for you. Yay for me."

"You really want to die, don't you?" Percy said.

"Sometimes, I think so." There was a pause, and his shoulders rolled. "Anyway, we go to him, he'll give us the info, and then it's on. We go in, you get what you want, and I get what I want. We go back to hating each other again."

"That's pretty much the only thing you've said so far that I like." Percy's sharp gaze landed on Luke. "The thing is, I'm having a hard time believing you. You say this halfblood is powerful and by himself? How has he survived?"

A mysterious glimmer filled Luke's eyes. "The Ghost King can take care of himself."

Well, that answered that question, but still, none of this sat well with me. Crap, this whole situation was looking dicey, but what choice did we have? We were already in deep. Might as well go in over our heads—sink or swim, as Chiron would say.

"Look," Luke said, fixing a steady stare on Percy. "What happened with Lee—I never wanted that. I couldn't just let her kill me. Just how you look out for Thalia, I had to look out for myself. And I'm sorry, but you of all people have to understand. You'd do anything for Thalia."

"I would." A faint tremor coursed through Percy. Static built, raising the tiny hairs on my body. "So, if for one moment I think you're about to screw us, I won't hesitate. And you haven't even seen what I'm fully capable of, boy."

"Understood," Luke murmured, his eyes downcast. "Are we on for tonight?"

The million-dollar question—were we really going to do this? Percy's heartbeat calmed, and I felt it in my own chest. His mind was made up. Not only would he do anything to keep me safe, he'd do anything for his mother.

Sink or swim.

I lifted my lashes and met Luke's eyes. "We're on."

* * *

After the meeting at Le Parker Meidien, Percy and I drove back to camp in silence.

"Are we going to tell him that we found the Labyrinth?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Percy's eyes were concentrated on the road but he managed to respond. "Not yet. We need to meet this middle man first, see what he knows."

"Can't we just take Luke in the Labyrinth and knock him out with some magic potion so he doesn't wake up and just leave him at the Big House while we're on the quest? We wouldn't be killing him and he can't invade camp if he's unconscious."

"Nope, I've already thought of that." Percy chuckled. "Remember how Luke said that Kronos would be alerted if anything should happen to him? Well, he's probably got this person or at least an Iris Message that will automatically send if he doesn't respond by the end of every day."

I leaned back in my seat, looking out the window. "That blows."

"He's really thought of everything." Percy made a turn and parked by Montauk Beach.

"Everything's going to be fine." I said out loud, mostly to reassure myself.

I think Percy sensed that I was basically lying to myself but gave me a small smile before getting out of the car. A heartbeat later, he opened my door and offered his hand.

"Thanks." I grasped it, static traveling from my skin onto his.

"No problem." He shut the passenger door behind me and locked the doors.

As soon as we got to camp, I darted toward the arena. I had to ask Quintus a question.

"Where are you going?" Percy asked, trying to catch up to me.

"I need to see Quintus." I slowed down, waiting for him to catch up.

He threw me a look. "Do we have to?"

I giggled. "I know he creeps you out but look, I'll be fine. Meet my by my cabin in a few hours then we'll go to Brooklyn, okay?"

Percy looked slightly reluctant but caved in, pivoting toward the Big House. "Fine. I'll go update Chiron on tonight."

"Have fun." I ran off, heading toward the arena.

Once inside, Quintus was organizing the armor and Mrs. O'Leary was in the corner, chewing away at a dummy.

"Hey," I said, trying to get his attention.

"Hi there." Quintus greeted, jogging up to me. "Come to practice?"

"Uh...sure." I twirled my mace caninster, transforming it into a spear.

Quintus had a wicked glint in his eyes and he unsheathed a bronze sword.

At an unseen signal, he charged.

I partied his black and backed up, trying to assess his technique. He swung again and I rolled away, getting up.

"I have a question." I said, dodging another swing.

"Then ask." He paused but was still in a defensive stance.

"When Percy and I were here, Mrs. O'Leary seemed to like him and you said 'how peculiar.' What did you mean?"

A dark look passed his face and the man lowered his sword. "Thalia, dark creatures are often attracted to dark souls. They seem to sense them."

I paled, trying to register what he had just said. Percy couldn't be...he didn't have a bad soul. A bad attitude, for sure. I can testify to that one hundred percent but his soul wasn't dark. I think there were times I saw who he truly was and there was so much good in him. Overtime, I had developed a faith in who Percy was and who has the capacity to become. I wanted to believe in a boy who was practically orphaned and alone for the first few years of his life. I wanted to understand him.

I wanted to believe that he was more than the mold everyone expected him to be just because one of his fathers was a titan.

"You don't know him. You're wrong." I said, voice low.

"Am I?" He questioned, those gray eyes seeming to peer into my soul. "I think you sense that I'm telling the truth and I don't think you like it."

"You don't say." I murmured sarcastically. "Percy's soul isn't dark just because he's Kronos' kid. Maybe Mrs. O'Leary confused him with Kronos or something."

"My dear, you going to have to face the truth eventually." He looked genuinely sad for me. "Save yourself to heartache while you can."

I scoffed and brushed that comment off. I raised my spear, praying that Quintus wouldn't notice my hand shaking. "Now, where were we?"

The older man smiled and swung his sword in high arc as I intercepted it with my blade. For almost an hour, we went back and forth, each trying different moves to throw the other off. Eventually, he threw in the towel but it felt like a hollow victory.

We played fetched with Mrs. O'Leary for a while before I went back to my cabin. Practicing with Quintus released some steam but I left with even more questions than I had answered.

If hellhounds and other dark creatures could sense dark souls, Quintus must have a dark soul.

That revelation sent chills down my spine and I had a feeling I didn't want to know about Quintus' past.

* * *

Silena came over after dinner that night to help study for our bio exam on Monday. Technically, it was Annabeth's Thalia-sitting shift but she felt confident leaving me with the daughter of Aphrodite.

I rocked back in my chair, my barely read bio textbook in my lap. Silena was reading her notes, and I was supposed to be listening, but my mind began to wander.

"You are so not paying attention," Silena said, sitting up.

"Yeah, I am." I wheeled around, fighting a grin. "You were saying something about cells and organisms."

She arched a brow. "Wow. You got this in the bag."

"I'm gonna fail." I dropped my head back, closed my eyes, and let out a long-suffering sigh. "I just can't concentrate. And there's this thing I have to do tonight."

"Oh! What thing? A thing with Percy, and if you say yes, please tell me that thing starts with an s and ends with an x."

I opened my eyes and frowned. "Geez, you're worse than a dude."

Her curls bounced as she nodded. "You know it."

I threw my pen at her.

Laughing, she closed her notebook. "So, what are you doing tomorrow that has you so distracted?"

There wasn't much I could tell her, but I was full of nervous energy, and the need to talk about it snaked past my lips. "Percy and I are going to this…club or something in Brooklyn to visit Luke's middle man-the one who will tell us the monsters we will face."

"Ah, work and play. Nice."

I laughed but I had one issue. I had no idea what to wear and most of my closet was just camp gear and a variation of band merch.

I popped up from my seat and stalked over to my closet. "I'm supposed to wear something sexy. I don't have anything sexy."

Silena followed. "I'm sure you have something in here."

There was a sea of jeans and sweaters, nothing like what Luke hinted at. Anger crept up my throat. Damn you, Luke.

Queasy, I pushed a stack of jeans to the side. "Yeah, I don't know about any of this."

Silena brushed me aside. "Let me take a look. I am the queen of smexy stuff. At least that's what Beckendorf thinks and, well, I kinda got to give it to the boy." She flashed me a quick, saucy grin. "He's got good taste."

I leaned against the wall. "Do your magic."

Five minutes later, Silena and I stared at the items placed on my bed as if an invisible hooker was wearing them. My cheeks were already beet red. "Uh…"

The daughter of Aphrodite giggled. "You should see your face."

I shook my head helplessly. "Do you see what I normally wear? This—this isn't me."

"That's the fun thing about going to clubs, especially ones out of town." Her nose wrinkled. "Well, there aren't any clubs at camp anyway, so everything is out of town, but anyway, you get to be someone else. Let your inner stripper come out and play."

I busted out laughing. "My inner stripper?"

She nodded. "Haven't you ever snuck into a bar or a club?"

"Yeah, but they were on beaches and everyone was dressed for summer. It's not summer."

"So?"

I rolled my eyes as I turned back to the bed. Silena had found a denim skirt I'd ordered online in the winter for summer, but it had ended up being way too short. Like barely-covering-the-butt short, and I'd been too lazy to return it. Spaced above the scrap of denim was a cropped black sweater I'd usually wear over a shirt or tank. It was long sleeved, so it would at least keep me warm. On the floor was a pair of knee-high boots I'd gotten on sale last winter.

And that was all.

Yep, that was it.

"My butt and my boobs are going to be showing."

Silena scuffed. "Your boobs will be covered."

"Not my entire stomach!"

"You have a nice stomach; show it off." She picked up the skirt, holding it to her waist. "When you're done with this, I so want to borrow it."

"Sure." And then I frowned. "Where are you going to wear it?"

"School." She laughed at the look on my face. "I'll put some tights on underneath it, you priss."

An idea struck. "Tights!" I spun toward my dresser and started rummaging through my socks. I pulled out a pair of black opaque tights. "A-ha! I can wear these." And a jacket…maybe a mask, too.

She snatched the tights from me, tossing them across the room. "You can't wear tights."

My face fell. "No?"

"No." She peered over my shoulder and then grinned as she reached around me and pulled something else out. "But these you could wear."

My mouth dropped open. A pair of ripped tights dangled from her fingers. "That was, like, a part of a Halloween costume."

"Perfect." She placed them on the bed.

Oh, dear Rhea, mother of Zeus… I sat cross-legged on the floor. "Well, I think Percy will approve, at least."

"Damn straight." She flopped on the bed, her grin fading. "Can I ask you something and you answer it honestly?" Warning bells went off, but I nodded. She took a deep breath. "Seriously, how good of a kisser is Percy? Because I imagine he just makes you—"

"Silena!"

"What? A girl's gotta know these kinds of things."

I bit my lip, flushing.

"Come on, it's sharing and caring time."

"He…he kisses like he's dying of thirst, and I'm water." I smacked my hands over my hot face. "I can't believe I just said that out loud."

Silena giggled. "Sounds like one of those romance books I've read."

"It does." I started giggling. "But, oh Lordie Lord, it's true. I'm like a puddle of mush when he kisses me. It's embarrassing. I'm so, like, 'Thank you, can I have another?' Sad."

We both broke into giggles. It was weird, because a lot of tension seeped out of my body. Giggling over boys was so amazingly normal.

"You really love him, don't you?" she asked when she took a breath.

"I do." I stretched out my legs on a sigh. "I really do. What about Beckendorf?"

She slipped off the bed and leaned against it. "I like him—like _a lot,_ a lot. Charlie and I are having fun and seriously, what's the point in anything if you ain't having fun? That's my motto in life." She paused, pushing her springy curls off her face. "Anyway, you're going to look hot tonight."

* * *

We drove basically right through Brooklyn which sent of warning alarms in my head. According to Luke, this club rested right off the interstate, nestled between two mountains—a gateway to smaller cities I didn't recognize. The south side of the town was heavily developed—shopping centers, restaurants, and office buildings. There was even a Starbucks, and dammit if it didn't suck to have to drive past that. We were running late.

The whole trip started off badly, which didn't speak well for how the night would progress.

First off, Luke and Percy had gotten into it before we even made it out of camp. Something about the quickest way to get to the southern panhandle of the state. Luke said to go south. Percy said to go north. Epic argument ensued.

Percy ended up winning, because he was driving, which made Luke pout in the backseat. Then we hit a snow squall around Deep Creek, slowing us down, and Luke had felt the need to point out that the southern roads were probably clear.

Also, the lack of clothing had me all kinds of twitchy. I went with Silena's choice in attire, much to Percy's happiness. If he made one more comment about the length of my skirt, I was going to hurt him.

And if Luke did, Percy was going to maim him.

I kept expecting a fleet of monsters to arrive out of the middle of nowhere and knock our vehicle off the road, but so far, no signs of monsters.

By the time we arrived in Brooklyn, I wanted to jump from the moving vehicle. As we neared the Falling Waters exit, Percy asked, "Which one?"

Luke popped forward, dropping his elbows on the backs of our seats. "One more exit—Spring Mills. You're going to take a left off the exit, like you're heading back to Hedgesville or Back Creek."

Back Creek? I shook my head. We'd gone farther into civilization, but the names of some of these towns begged to differ.

About two miles off the exit, Luke said, "See the old gas station up ahead—the pumps?"

Percy's eyes narrowed. "Yeah."

"Turn there."

I leaned forward to get a better view. Tall weeds surrounded old, worn-out pumps. There was a building—mostly a shack—behind them. "The club is in a gas station?"

Luke laughed. "No. Just drive around the building. Stay on the dirt road."

Muttering about getting his car dirty, Percy followed Luke's sketchy directions. The dirt road was more like a path cleared by thousands of tires. This was so shady I wanted to demand we turn around.

The farther we went, the scarier the scenery got. Thick trees crowded the path, broken up by rundown buildings with boarded-up windows and empty black spaces where doors once stood.

"I don't know about this," I admitted. "I think I've seen all of this in Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

Percy snorted. The SUV bumped over the uneven terrain, and then there were cars. Everywhere. Cars parked in haphazard lines, beside trees, crammed across a field. Beyond the endless rows of vehicles was a squat, square-shaped building with no outdoor lighting.

"Okay. I think I actually saw this in Hostel—One _and_ Two."

"You'll be fine," Luke said. "The place is hidden so it stays off the grid, not because they kidnap and kill unsuspecting tourists."

I totally reserved the right to disagree on that.

Percy parked as far away as he could, obviously more afraid of getting dings in his car's sides than us being eaten by Bigfoot.

A guy stumbled out from among a pack of cars. Moonlight glinted off his spiked collar and green Mohawk.

Or getting eaten by a goth kid.

I opened the door and climbed out, hugging my peacoat close. "What kind of place is this?"

"A very different kind of place," was Luke's answer. He slammed his door shut, and Percy about snapped off his head. Rolling his eyes, Luke stepped around me. "You'll have to lose the jacket."

"What?" I glared at him. "It's freezing out. See my breath?"

"You're not going to freeze in the seconds it takes us to walk to the door. They're not going to let us in."

I felt like stomping my feet as I looked at Percy helplessly. Like Luke, he was dressed in dark jeans and a shirt. Yep. That's all. Apparently, these people didn't care about the male dress code.

"I don't get it," I whined. My jacket was my saving grace. It was bad enough that the torn tights did nothing to hide my legs. "So not fair."

Percy sauntered up to me, placing his hands on mine. A lock of wavy hair fell into his eyes. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. I mean it."

"If she doesn't, then this was one huge time waster."

"Shut up," Percy growled over his shoulder and then to me, "I'm serious. Tell me now, and we'll go home. There's got to be another way."

But there wasn't another way. Luke, gods forgive me, was right. I was wasting time. Shaking my head, I stepped back and started unbuttoning my jacket. "I'm fine. Pulling on big girl undies and all that jazz."

Percy watched quietly as I stripped away what felt like armor. My jacket off, he sucked in a low breath as I tossed it on the passenger seat. As cold as it was, my entire body somehow managed to feel like it was on fire.

"Yeah," he muttered, stepping in front of me like a shield. "I'm not so sure about this."

Over his shoulder, Luke's brows shut up. "Wow."

Percy whipped around, arm flying out, but Luke darted to the left, narrowly missing Percy's hand.

I crossed my arms over my bare midsection, exposed by the cropped sweater and the low-rise skirt. I felt naked, which was stupid, because I wore bathing suits. Shaking my head, I stepped around Percy. "Let's get in there."

Luke's eyes drifted over me quickly enough to avoid certain death from the irritated demigod behind me. My hand itched to smack his eyeballs out of the back of his head.

Our walk to the steel door at the corner of the building was quick. There were no windows or anything, but as we drew closer, the heavy beat of music could be felt outside.

"So do we knock—?"

Out of the shadows, a huge mother of a dude appeared. Arms like tree trunks were shown off by the torn overalls he wore. No shirt, because it was, like, a hundred degrees out here or something. The guy's hair was spiked into three sections across the center of his otherwise shaved skull. They were purple.

I liked purple.

I swallowed nervously.

Studs glinted all over his face: nose, lips, and eyebrows. Two thick bolts pierced his earlobes. He said nothing as he stopped in front of us, his dark eyes roaming over the guys and then stopping on me.

I took a step back, bumping into Percy, who placed a hand on my shoulder.

"See something you like?" Percy asked.

The dude was big—pro wrestler big—and he smirked like he was sizing Percy up for dinner. And I knew Percy was probably doing the same thing. The likelihood of us getting out of here without a massive brawl was slim.

Luke intervened. "We're here to party. That's all."

Pro Wrestler said nothing for a second and then reached for the door. Eyes fastened on Percy, he opened the door and music blared. He gave a mocking bow. "Welcome to The Harbinger. Have fun."

The Harbinger? What a…lovely, reassuring name for a club.

Luke glanced over his shoulder and said, "I think he liked you, Percy."

"Everyone does," Percy said.

Luke let out a low laugh and went in, and my legs carried me through a tight hallway that suddenly spilled into a different world. One full of shadowed enclaves and flashing strobe lights, and the smell alone was almost overwhelming. Not bad, but a potent mixture of sweat, perfume, and other questionable aromas. The bitter taste of alcohol was thick in the air.

Blue, red, and white lights streamed and dazzled over the teeming throng of undulating bodies in dizzying intervals. If I were prone to seizures, I'd be on the floor in a heartbeat. All the bare skin—mostly female—shimmered like the girls had been dusted with glitter. The dance floor was packed, bodies moving, some in rhythm, others just thrusting. Beyond it was a raised dance stage. A girl with long, blonde hair whirled in the center of the chaos; her slender body was short but she moved like a dancer, all graceful and fluid motions as she spun.

I couldn't take my eyes off her. She stopped spinning; her lower half still swayed in tune to the beat as she shoved the damp hair back. Her face was radiant with innocence, her smile beautiful and wide. She was young—too young to be in a place like this.

Then again, as my eyes scanned the crowd, a lot of the kids were definitely not of drinking age. Some were, but the vast majority looked like they were our age.

But the most interesting part was what was above the stage. Cages hung from the ceiling, occupied by scantily clad girls. Go-go dancers was what Annabeth would've called them. I wasn't sure what the name was now, but the chicks had on some kick-ass boots. I wanted some kick-ass boots. The top halves of their faces were covered with glittery masks. All of them had hair that was all the colors of the rainbow.

I glanced down at the skin between my denim skirt and cropped sweater. Yeah, I really could've gone crazier.

Even stranger, there wasn't a table or set of chairs anywhere I could see. There were couches peeking out of the shadowed sidelines, but there was no way in hell I'd sit on those things.

Percy's hand was firmly on my back as he bent over, speaking into my ear. "A little out of your element, Sweetheart?"

Funny thing was, Percy still stood out in this crowd. He was a good head taller than most, and none of them moved like him or looked like him. "I think you should've gone with the eyeliner."

His lips quirked up. "Never going to happen."

Luke moved in front of us as we followed him around the dance floor, the fast techno beat easing off and another picking up, heavy on the drums.

Everyone stopped.

Fists suddenly shot into the air, followed by shouts, and my eyes widened. Was there going to be a mosh pit? A part of me kind of wanted to try that out. The angry beat may have had something to do with it. The cage girls slammed their hands against the bars. The pretty girl on the stage with all that blond hair had disappeared.

Percy's hand slid to mine and squeezed. My ears strained to pick up the lyrics over the screams. _Safe from pain and truth and choice and other poison devils_ … The yells picked up, drowning out everything except the drums.

The hair rose on the back of my neck.

There was definitely something up with this club. Not right… Not right at all.

We rounded the bar and entered a narrow hallway. People were against the walls, so close to one another I couldn't tell where one body began and another ended. A guy peered up from the neck he was busy with, and his heavily kohl-outlined eyes met mine.

He winked.

I quickly looked away. Note to self: do not make eye contact.

Before I knew it, we'd stopped at a door that read Personnel Only, but the Personnel part had been scratched out and someone had written Freaks in permanent marker.

Nice.

Luke went to rap his knuckles on the door, but it cracked open first. I couldn't see who was behind it. I glanced over my shoulder. Kohl Eyes was still watching. Skeevy.

"We're here to see the Ghost King," Luke said.

Whatever the mystery person behind the door said didn't look good, because Luke's spine went rigid. "Tell him it's Luke, and he owes me." There was a pause and the back of his neck flushed red. "I don't care what he's doing; I need to see him."

"Great," Percy muttered, his body tensing and relaxing in intervals. "He's friendless as usual."

Another garbled response and the door opened a little more. Then Luke growled, "Dammit, he owes me. These people are cool. Trust me. He knows them."

We do?

Finally Luke turned to us, his brows drawn tightly. "He wants to talk to me first. Alone."

Percy drew up to his full height. "Yeah, not gonna happen."

Luke didn't back down. "Then nothing's going to happen. Either you do as he wants and someone will come for you, or we made this trip for nothing."

I could tell Percy wasn't cool with this, and I hadn't sat through the car ride from hell and brought out my inner stripper for nothing. Rising onto my toes, I pressed against his back. "Let's dance." Percy turned halfway, eyes flashing. I tugged on his hand. "Come on."

He relented and as he turned completely, over his shoulder I saw the door open and Luke slid through. A bad feeling settled in my stomach, but there wasn't anything we could do now that we were here.

The drums had faded off, and a somewhat familiar song had started. Taking a deep breath, I pulled Percy out to the floor, slipping around bodies as I searched out a spot. Finding one, I pivoted around.

He watched me curiously, almost like he was saying, Are we really doing this? We were. Dancing seemed crazy when so much rested on the information we'd come for, but I pushed away our reasons for coming here. Closing my eyes and drawing on courage, I stepped up to him, draped an arm around his neck, and placed my other hand on his waist.

I started to move against him, like the other dancers were, because in reality, when guys danced, they sort of just stood there and let the girls do all the work. If I remembered correctly from those clubbing movies, the girls made the guys look good.

It took a few seconds of stiffness to find the beat to the song and loosen up muscles that hadn't really seen any action recently, but when I did, the rhythm of the music resonated in my head and then through my body, my limbs. Swaying to the music, I whirled around and my shoulders moved with my hips. Percy's arm crept around my waist, and I felt his chin graze my neck.

"Okay. I might have to thank Luke for being friendless," he said into my ear.

I smiled.

His arm tightened as the beat picked up and so did my movements. "I think I like this."

All around us, bodies were slick and shiny with sweat, as if they'd been dancing for years. That was the thing about places like this—you get caught up and hours go by but it only feels like long minutes.

Percy spun me back to him, and I was on the tips of my boots, facing him. His head lowered, forehead pressing against mine, our lips brushing. A rush of power went through Percy, transferring to my skin, and in the flashing lights, we were lost in this world. Our bodies surged with the beat, fitting together fluidly while others seemed to thrash beside us, never able to find the right sync.

When Percy's lips pressed more firmly against mine, I opened up, not losing the rhythm even though he was stealing my breath. My—our hearts were pounding, hands grabbing, clutching, his slipping over the curve of my back, and behind my lids, I saw a pinprick of white light.

Sliding my hands across his cheeks, I kissed him back. Static flowed, cascading off my bodies in streams of reddish-white light that was hidden under the flickering strobe lights, flowing over the floor like a wave of electricity. And all around us, people danced, either oblivious to the shocks or fueled by them, but I didn't care. Percy's hands were on my hips, tugging me closer, and we were so gonna end up like one of those ambiguous couples in the hallway.

The music may've stopped or changed or whatever, but we were still pressed together, practically devouring each other. And maybe later, tomorrow or next week, I might be embarrassed by the PDA, but not now.

A hand landed on Percy's shoulder, and he whirled away. With a second to spare, I grabbed his arm, stopping his fist from saying hello to Luke's jaw.

Luke smiled and yelled over the blaring music, "Are you guys having sex or dancing?"

My cheeks flared. Okay, maybe right now I'd be embarrassed.

Percy growled something and Luke took a step back, hands going up. "Sorry," he shouted. "Geez. He's ready to see us if you're done eating each other's faces."

Luke was going to get punched at some point.

Taking my hand again, I followed Percy and Luke back through the snake-like bodies and down the hallway. My heart was still racing, my chest rising and falling too fast. That dance…

Kohl Eyes was gone and this time when Luke went to knock, the door opened all the way. I followed, hoping my face wasn't burning.

I'm not sure what I was expecting to find behind the door. Maybe a smoky, dark room with men wearing sunglasses, cracking their knuckles, or another big guy in overalls, but I wasn't expecting what I found.

The room was large and the air clean, vanilla-scented. There were several couches, one occupied by a boy with shoulder-length jet-black hair tucked back behind his ears. Like the girl I'd seen dancing earlier, he was young. Maybe eleven or twelve, if that, and he had holes in his jeans the size of Mars. On his right hand was a ring that circled a strange stone. In the center of the stone, there was a reddish-orange flame and below it, speckles of blue and green.

Whatever stone it was, it was beautiful and expensive looking.

The kid glanced up from the DS he was playing on, and I was kind dumbstruck.

"Nico?" My mouth fell open. "You're the Ghost King?"

"Yep." He answered simply, focusing his attention back on his game. "Die, Bowser, die! Anyway, I'm glad to see Perlia is alive and well. You two should keep better company though." The young boy pointed to the son of Hermes.

"Noted." Percy glared at Luke. "Is this where you've been these past weeks?"

"I've been here, there-everywhere." His onyx eyes seemed to have a spark in them. "Including the Labyrinth."

Suddenly, Percy had stiffened and was staring at a guy in a leather chair. Stacks of hundreds were splayed across the desk in front of a guy with jet-black hair who was staring back at Percy, almost as if he were sizing him up.

The guy was an older man, probably around Quintus' age. Alarms went off in my head and I could tell this guy was up to no good.

Percy stepped forward. The guy stood. And my heart sped up. My worst fears spread through me like wildfire. "What's going on?" I asked. Even Luke seemed nervous.

Nico coughed out a laugh, closing his DS. "Oh, by the way-that's Minos. Minos, these are my besties-Percy and Thalia. Play nice."

Minos didn't look to happy about that but stepped back, shadows swirling around him. They seem to envelop him and he was gone.

The son of Hades sat up, swinging his legs off the couch. He would've had a baby face if it wasn't for the keen intelligence in his eyes or the experience set in the hard lines of his mouth. "So, you crazy kids want to scamper inside the Labyrinth and you want my help?"

I sighed, accepting that our messiah of information was barely a teen.

He stood, and I was shocked to discover that he was almost as tall as Percy. "That maze is a tricky, tricky place, I'll tell you that much. And you two are going with him?" Nico asked, pointing to the son of Hermes.

"We're being blackmailed." I clarified.

"Ah." Nico's eyes lit up. "Luke's a big fan of Percy so things should go well."

Luke raised a middle finger.

Percy said drily, "Glad to know my fan club is far reaching."

Nico cocked his head to the side. "And what a fan club indeed. Anyway, I digress." Nico stretched, like a cat after a nap. "So you guys are going to take the huge risk of going into the hornet's nest."

"We really don't have a choice." Percy shot the quiet Luke a dark look. "So are you help us or not?"

Nico shrugged, running his fingers over the stacks of money. "What's in it for me?"

"We saved your life at Westover Hall," Percy pointed out. "You drove me insane for three months-if anything, you owe us."

"Potato, Potatoe." Nico yawned, disinterested. "Once more, what's in it for me?" He picked up a cluster of hundreds secured with a rubber band. A second later, the edges of the bills curled inward, the green paper lost its color and turned gray. Like it had died. Nico picked it back up again and it returned to its normal pigment.

That must be a handy power. "What can we do for you?"

"Obviously money's not an issue," Percy added.

Nico's lips twitched. "Money isn't needed." He brushed his fingers off on his jeans. "Power isn't, either. Honestly, the only thing I need is a favor."

Luke snapped off the wall. "Nico—"

His eyes narrowed. "A favor is all I want—one that I can collect at any time. That's what I want in return, and I'll give you all you need to know."

Well, that sounded easy. "O—"

"Wait," Percy cut me off. "You want us to agree to a favor without knowing what that favor is?"

Nico nodded. "Where's the risk if you know everything?"

"Where's the intelligence if we don't?" Percy shot back.

The kid laughed. "I like you. A lot. But my help doesn't come without its own peril in exchange."

"Gods, you're like the preteen mafia," I muttered.

"Something like that." He flashed a beatific smile. "What you—all of you—don't understand is there are things much, much bigger than a mother's lost love or an automaton. There's change brewing behind the winds, and the winds are going to be fierce." He looked at Percy. "Something terrible is stirring and it's not Kronos."

I shivered. "What are you talking about?"

His onyx eyes met mine, but he said nothing.

Minos reappeared and folded his arms. "If you're not willing to deal, there's the door."

Percy and I exchanged looks. I honestly didn't know what to say. It seriously was like making a deal with the mafia—with a creepy kid-mafia boss.

"Guys," Luke said. "He's our only chance."

"Baby Zeus," Percy muttered. "Fine. We owe you a favor."

Nico's eyes gleamed. "And you?"

I sighed. "Sure. Why not."

"Awesome! Minos?" He held out his hand. Minos bent down, grabbed a small MacBook Air, and handed it over. "Give me a sec."

We watched him punch away at the keyboard, brows drawn in concentration. While we waited, a door at the back of the room opened and the young girl from the stage peeked her head into the room.

Nico's head jerked up. "Not now."

The girl's frown was epic, but she closed the door. "She's the girl on—"

"Don't finish that sentence if you want me to continue. Don't even talk about her. Frankly, you've never even seen her," Nico said, eyes fastened on the screen again. "All deals will be off."

I clamped my mouth shut even though I had a thousand questions about how Nico's search for the rebirth version of Bianca was going.

Minos handed Nico a flash drive and the demigod stuck it in the laptop. Finally, he pulled it out and threw at Percy who caught it.

"Say hello to my little friend. Anything and everything that I encountered in the Labyrinth is in there. Of course, you might come across other things I didn't stumble upon sooooo try not to die."

"Also, my father has installed a few more security measures in Tartarus and there's an entrance to Tartarus in the Labyrinth. There are blue lasers that will fry you up like a hog on Christmas Eve. They'll take a while to come down but eventually, they will."

"What happens if we're passing through and suddenly, one of the lasers go back up?" I asked.

Nico raised his hands. "Uh, kind of like being on a plane that's about to crash. Stick your head between your knees and kiss 'em good-bye."

"Lovely." I responded.

"Thank you," Percy said, tucking away the flashdrive.

Returning to the couch and his DS, Nico dropped down, his smile fading. "Don't thank me yet. Actually, don't thank me at all. I don't exist, you know, not until I need my favor." He flipped open his DS.

"Okay." I drew out the word. "Well, I guess…"

"We'll be going," Percy supplied, taking my hand. "It was nice, kind of, seeing you again."

"Ditto Perlia," he said, thumbs flying over the game board. Nico's voice stopped us at the door. "You have no idea what awaits you. Be careful. I would hate for my dealing to be one-sided if you all get yourselves killed…or worse."

I shuddered. Nice way to close the conversation with a healthy dose of freak-us-out.

Percy nodded, and we headed out, Luke closing the door behind him. Only then did I realize the room was soundproof.

"Well," Luke said, smiling. "That wasn't too bad, was it?"

I rolled my eyes. "I have a feeling we just made a deal with the devil, and he's going to come back and want our firstborn child or something."

Percy wagged his brows. "You want kids? Because you know, practice makes—"

"Shut it, Jackson." I shook my head and started walking.

We hurried through the club, around the still-packed dance floor. I think all of us were ready to get out of there. As we neared the exit, I looked around Percy and Luke, my eyes drifting over the dance floor.

Part of me wondered how many, if any, were halfbloods. We were rare, but like I sensed at first, there was something different about this place. Maybe Nico was trying to create some sort of haven because he didn't really have a place at camp. His father-Hades-had no cabin and was pretty much alienated from the other Olympians.

Pro Wrestler greeted us at the door. He stepped aside, massive arms folded across his chest. "Remember," he said. "You were never here."

* * *

"I trust all went well." Chiron said as we approached my tree. After we had parked, Luke scampered away-hopefully to the depths of hell-and Percy and I made our way up Half-Blood.

"You could say that..." I trailed off then explained what had happened. When Nico left camp, we hadn't told Chiron he was a son of Hades so Chiron was in for a treat. Chiron was genuinely surprised at Nico's godly parent but understood why we didn't tell him.

"Very well then. Hecate's has reversed Luke's invisibility spell so we should all be able to see him and since the quest is tomorrow, the timing is perfect."

"Tommorow?" The color drained from my face. Don't get me wrong, I was down for this quest but tomorrow was so soon.

Chiron nodded then turned to Percy. "Have you chosen your quest mates?"

"I have." The demigod confirmed.

"Good. Let's head inside the big house to announce it to the counselors."

Percy and I nodded, following the centaur to the big house. Once inside, Sally came up to us, "Are you two alright?"

"We're fine, Mom." Percy answered, giving her a small smile. "Turns out the ghost king was someone we already knew."

The mortal frowned but before she could ask any questions, Chiron cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming, I apologize for the ungodly hour but this will only take a moment. Percy, if you debrief everyone on what happened tonight and announce your quest mates."

Percy stepped forward. "We met the ghost king tonight and it turns out that he was a former camper, Nico Di Angelo."

Confused and blank stares flickered across my vision.

"Anyway, he agreed to help us and I have a flash drive containing all the obstacles we may face. Now, this quest will be dangerous even if we do know what's coming. We're working with Luke which I'm sure will come back to bite us in the ass and the Labyrinth is basically uncharted territory. Along with Luke, I have chosen these two people for the quest." Percy paused for a moment then continued. "Sally Jackson and Grover Underwood. Thanks for coming out, guys and wish us luck."

What the hell? I wasn't going on the quest? I was going to stay at camp? I shook my head-maybe I misheard him. I must've-he wouldn't go without me.

Everyone murmured a 'good luck' and sleepily walked back to their respective cabins leaving just Percy and I.

While I was still in a state of confusion, everyone but Percy had left.

He took a step forward, his eyes so golden they couldn't be real. "You're mad."

"No shit, Sherlock." Unknowingly, my right hand had formed into a fist. "Remember when you told me that it was cute when I got all fiesty? Well, get ready because I'm about to be GORGEOUS!"

Percy paled. "I can't take you with me, Thalia. I really want to but Grover's on a deadline and he's sure that Pan will be underground. He thinks that Pan is there because satyrs don't like underground so he would hide there. And of course, I have to take my mom because she knows where to go."

"I don't understand why I can't go-I can help and I want to help." I insisted, trying to make him understand how unfair this was.

"It's better that we just keep it at three. You know that three is a sacred number...the big three, three furies, three fates. Plus with Luke in the fold, I really want to stick to the rules this time. Last time five people went on a quest...I don't want something like to happen again."

It was hard to argue with him when he had a point but I still tried. "Look, Grover's deathly terrified of underground places and has a musical instrument to protect him. Your mom is a mortal-she has no powers. And Luke...Luke has some of Kronos' powers but he doesn't have control over them. You can't protect all of them by yourself-you need more fire power, i.e. you need me."

"I'm looking over the flashdrive tonight and I'll make sure we know how to defeat the monsters before we even go into the Labyrinth. I'll bring whatever we need to vanquish the monsters. You don't need to be there, Thalia."

I was stumped. He had thought of everything. "Well, if something goes wrong-you guys get separated, I should be there anyway. It won't hurt to have more protection."

Percy looked at me sadly, as if he knew I had already lost the argument. "I can't take you with me, Thalia." His voice broke and he looked away. "If something happened to you..."

He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to.

I bit my lip. "Goodnight, Percy. I'm going to bed."

He started to move forward but I put a hand on his chest. I looked him dead in the eye. "Alone."

"Thalia, I'm sorry about this. I really would take you if I could." He hesitated before placing his hand over my hand. His heart was racing, as if he was afraid...afraid of losing me. "You understand that, don't you?"

"No. I don't and I know this has to do with your paranoia and over-protectiveness. It's always been about that and I've had enough." I wrenched my hand out of his and by the look on his face, you would've thought I'd taken his heart as well. "I can't do this anymore. We can't be together...not like this."

The words stung and burned me to the core. I wanted to take them back immediately but it was time I put my foot down.

"You don't really mean that, do you?" His voice was a whisper, his eyes full of confusion and anguish.

"Yeah, I do." Turning away from him was the hardest thing I'd ever done. I thought that we were in it for the long haul, I really did.

Now, I wasn't so sure.

* * *

 **A/N-Uh oh, Trouble in paradise. *Le sigh* Okay so in the last chapter's A/N, I said I'd talk to you guys about the update schedule. Okay, so this fic should be 11 chapters in total. I have 11 chapters outlined, at least. I may split one if it's too long or take out one. It just depends. So if I continue updating once a week, this fic should end by the last week of August which was not my plan. I wanted this fic to end in July and by august, be starting the fifth and final fic for this series. So I think I will have to do twice a week updates so that this fic finishes on time. And at that rate, this fic will be done in the first week of August which is ideal.**

 **I think I'll update wednesday and saturdays from now on because Tuesday is too close. Like I just updated on saturday then I have to turn around and write another chapter in two days. Like no. So twice a week updates (Yay for y'all and more work for me) So I need to get to get back on a writing schedule because if I don't, I'm going to up writing the night before every update. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next Wednesday!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N-I have a short chapter for you guys today because we're going ham next chapter. Be prepared. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **It was ten in the morning and I had already destroyed ten practice dummies.** As I began hacking away at my eleventh victim, I heard footsteps coming from behind me.

"Go away, Percy." I sliced the dummy's head clean off. "I don't want to talk to you."

"I'm afraid you've been mistaken, Thalia."

I whirled around, adrenaline coursing through my veins. "Quintus," I nodded at the man.

"Good morning, I see you've been...busy." The man's gray eyes drank in the sight of the destroyed dummies. "I take it you had a bit of a quarrel with him?"

"That's an understatement." I huffed, retracting my spear into my mace canister. "He didn't choose me as a quest mate."

"Ah." There was a spark in Quintus' eyes. "And that's why you're upset? Or is it something else?"

"I mean, Percy's is extremely anal about protecting me all the time but this time, he's gone too far. It's like he thinks I'm weak or something." I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. "I'm tired of fighting about the same thing over and over again."

"It's the definition of insanity," The older man circled me which wigged me out to the max. "Doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. May I ask why you are with him?"

"Originally, I wanted to understand him." I began, taking a deep breath. "He's misunderstood by many just because he's the son of Kronos but I saw something in him. His passions, his beliefs are interesting and I really liked unraveling the mystery. I like that he can be himself when he's around me. I see him as a person...not a weapon."

"A weapon's nature is unchanging, Thalia." Quintus added. "At the end of the day, he will do what he was created to do. And your presence as a 'safe' space might not be enough."

Chills ran down my spine. "My dad said something like that once. I still think the both of you are wrong."

The man smiled sadly, admiring the hope I held. "Then go."

"Go?" I echoed.

"Follow Percy into the Labyrinth." Quintus explained. "He can't stop you if you're already there."

"But the rules...I can't."

"If I recall correctly, I believe Percy himself ran off an a quest that wasn't assigned to him two years ago."

I chuckled. "Okay, this is why you're Athena's kid."

The man winked. "But you didn't get the idea from me."

"What idea?"

"Exactly." Quintus' smiled faded and he reached into his pocket, dropping something cold in the palm of my hand.

I turned it over to examine the object. It was a whistle made out of ice.

"It can only be used once." He explained. "Afterwards, it melts. Only use it when needed, Thalia. The Labyrinth is a never ending maze and you must be careful."

I nodded wordlessly and tucked the whistle in to my jeans. I wasn't one to question ominous gifts, especially when they came from a mysterious man I barely knew. "Thank you."

"Now, how about you take your anger out on a real person?" Quintus raised his sword.

"You're on."

An hour after my training sesh with the swordman, I hopped in the shower then made my way over to Zeus' fist. Percy, Luke, Grover, and Sally were about to leave and even though I would be seeing them soon, I wanted to say good luck.

The back of my neck tingled and in a heartbeat, gold eyes were peering into mine.

"You came." He said as if he couldn't believe it.

"I just wanted to wish you guys good luck." My voice was disembodied, cold. I didn't mean to sound angry but I also didn't want to sound happy.

"Thanks but we won't need it. Everything's going to go exactly as planned." His voice was calm, reassuring. "I am really glad you're here."

"Well, I'll see you soon." I pulled him for a hug the pulled away.

"I'll be back before you know it, Sweetheart." He tucked a strand of hair behind my hair and turned away.

A moment later, Percy entered the labyrinth, followed by his mom, Grover, and Luke.

* * *

I had no idea where I was going. I just let my feet carry me away from Zeus' fist to...the beach. I looked around, the cool sea breeze surrounding me.

I plopped myself down on the sand, shifting the sand from my palm.

I sighed. This reminded me of Percy.

Speaking of the son of the sea god, the sea itself began to rise, revealing what looked like horse with a tail. And on top of the horse was a giant cyclops. I'd wasn't a big fan of cyclops- when I was 12, I was almost eaten by a massive one. This one was a baby with one brown eye.

"Bye Rainbow." He said tearfully.

The creature neighed and did a back flip, disappearing into the ocean.

The cyclops turned around and began walk toward my direction.

I twirled my mace canister and pointed my spear at him. "Don't take another step."

The cyclops didn't seem to realize I was threatening him so he clapped joyfully. "Hi, new camper. My name is Tyson."

"Tyson?" I wracked my brain, trying to remember where I heard that name before. "Percy's half brother?"

The cyclops nodded. "You know Percy?"

"I'm his girlfriend." My spear reverted back to its canister form. "Well...sort of. Thalia." I stuck out my hand. Tyson shook it and for a moment I thought I'd lost my hand within his massive one.

"I came to visit Percy-it's a surprise."

"You just missed him. He just left for a quest an hour or so ago."

Tyson's fell but suddenly he smiled. "Maybe I can see Annabeth then?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll go with you."

Apparently, everyone at camp knew Tyson. We actually took a long time getting to Athena's cabin because so many campers had stopped us to say hello to Tyson. When we finally made it, Annabeth was sitting on the porch, her nose in a book.

"Hey nerd," I waved.

Annabeth threw me a look then looked at cyclops beside me. Her eyes brightened and she smiled.

"Tyson!" She ran up and threw her arms around him.

The cyclops have her gentle pat on the back, trying not to crush her.

"Hi, Annabeth. You're still pretty, by the way."

"Thanks..." She pulled away then faced us. "I'm on my way to see Clarisse and Chris, you guys wanna come?"

"Sure." I frowned. Since when did Annabeth hang out with Clarisse?

"You remember Clarisse, right Tyson?" Annabeth tucked her book away and started walking.

"Um big, scary girl?"

"Close enough." The daughter of Athena smiled. A heartbeat later, we met Chris and Clarisse at the Bon fire, the fire kindling.

I got really bad vibes from Chris. He wigged me out to the extreme.

Annabeth, Clarisse, and Tyson were recalling their quest for the Golden Fleece and Chris was just staring at me. Unapologetic, unashamed staring.

A few times, he called Clarisse 'Mary' but for most part, he seemed somewhat sane. If you didn't count the staring.

"I found him in the Labyrinth," Clarisse told me. I think she even noticed the excessive staring. "An entrance was near my house so I told Chiron and he said it could be the labyrinth. So I checked it out and found him. That place..." She glanced at Chris who seemed to be staring off elsewhere. "It does some stuff to you."

I gulped. Good to know. "Why didn't you tell us there was entrance earlier?"

"It's gone now. It moves all the time." The girl answered. "I think the entrance to camp is somewhat more permanent anyway."

"So what else do you guys know about the labyrinth?" I asked.

"Apart from its creator, not much." Annabeth admitted. "Who knows what lurks down there?"

"Great." My lips formed a thin line. It's not like my friends were in there or anything.

"Percy will be fine, Thalia." Clarisse offered. "He's like a roach, impossible to kill. I would know-I've tried on several occasions."

At the mention of Percy's name, Chris' head jerked towards me. That stare was back again.

A shiver ran down my back but I nodded to Clarisse. "Yeah, I know."

We spent the rest of evening talking since there were no classes today-it was the weekend. Around dinner time, Chris and Clarisse went to the Big House and I, along with Annabeth and Tyson, went to the mess hall. After dinner, Tyson walked me back to my cabin, telling me about how he met Percy. In my opinion, Percy was his douchebag self but Tyson talked about him like he was the greatest thing since Green Day. I murmured a farewell and went inside my cabin to take a shower and catch some serious z's.

* * *

Sometime around four a.m, there was a knock my door.

I groggily woke up, swung my feet off the bed and opened the door.

My eyes took a while to adjust to my visitors. It was Tyson, with a huge club in his hand, and Annabeth who clutched her Yankees Cap.

"Get your stuff." She said. "We're going inside the Labyrinth."

* * *

 **A/N-If anyone remembers in the bottom A/N of chapter 3 I said that there were going to be two groups going into the Labyrinth so this is the second group. Just saying. This chapter was so short it made me laugh. I remember even getting past 1,000 words was a struggle for me. Ah, improvement. So next chapter will be a shitstorm of drama so it's going to be long one. That being said, I may end up posting it on Sunday if I don't finish in time. I'm trying to finish it early but you never know so just be aware of that. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N-Hey guys! I have another update for you guys and I wanted to get it out earlier but what can ya do. Shout out to The Sorrowful Deity, he suggested an idea which I incorporated into this chapter because it was pretty awesome. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The further we ventured into the labyrinth, the more lost we were.** Annabeth had some sort of makeshift map but every time we turned, the maze shifted and led us down different corridors.

"Maybe we should just IM Percy-I think we're lost." I suggested.

"You think?" Annabeth retorted. "Sorry. I'm just...frustrated. We can't; we're completely underground. No light and natural lighting is the best light for a rainbow."

"So why don't we look for an exit, get out, and then IM Percy?"

Annabeth thought for a while. "Yeah sure, I guess we can do that." The blonde nodded at Tyson. "You okay, Tyson?"

The cyclops nodded timidly. "I smell goat."

"Grover!" Annabeth was so giddy she almost dropped the map. "Follow his scent!"

Tyson took the lead and we followed, trying to catch up with him. I saw a few skeletons on the way which was starting worry me.

"I think that's like the tenth skeleton I've seen and I'm freaking out," I whispered to the daughter of Athena. "What if one of the skeletons is Percy or Grover or Sally?"

"First off, they've only been in here for a day so if they were dead, they would start decomposing. Bodies don't become skeletons overnight, you know. Secondly, Grover is a satyr so he has no soul, therefore he turn into a plant or a flower if he died."

"I'm pretty sure I saw a flower on our way in."

"Thalia, please-"

"Look!" Tyson interrupted, pointing a four figures into the distance. "It is them!"

It was them alright and the four of them were running towards us.

"Run!" Percy yelled, running past us.

I had a feeling I didn't want to know what was chasing us so I ran after him.

Percy swore, taking a sharp right turn. "What are you doing here, Thalia? You shouldn't have come."

Well, that stung. "You can't tell me what to do, Percy. I came to help and clearly, things aren't going as planned."

"Yeah well, unfortunately Nico didn't tell us about everything. Some huge ass monster is after us-my mom got a wee bit lost and kind of led us into a jail."

"I wasn't lost-we were going in the right direction." Sally said as the rest of the group caught up to us.

"Now what?" Luke panted.

"This." Annabeth went up to a nearby wall and placed her hand on a faintly glowing Greek delta symbol. She pressed the button and at the end of the corridor, a door slid open. I heard massive footsteps behind us that shook the foundation of the labyrinth.

"Go, now!" I ushered everyone out and was the last one to exit. Just before the door began to close I caught a glimpse of the monster.

It was sort of like a centaur, with a woman's body from the waist up. But instead of a horse's lower body, it had the body of a dragon—at least twenty feet long, black and scaly with enormous claws and a barbed tail. Her legs looked like they were tangled in vines, but then I realized they were sprouting snakes, hundreds of vipers darting around, constantly looking for something to bite. The woman's hair was also made of snakes, like Medusa's. Weirdest of all, around her waist, where the woman part met the dragon part, her skin bubbled and morphed, occasionally producing the heads of animals—a vicious wolf, a bear, a lion, as if she were wearing a belt of ever-changing creatures. I got the feeling I was looking at something half formed, a monster so old it was from the beginning of time, before shapes had been fully defined.

Once the door had closed, I turned to the group. "What the hell was that?"

"Kampê." Tyson's voice trembled. "Every cyclops is terrified of her. She was our jailer a long time ago."

Annabeth nodded. "I remember now. When the Titans ruled, they imprisoned Gaea and Ouranos's earlier children—the Cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires-the Hundred-Handed Ones. They called them that because…well, they had a hundred hands. They were elder brothers of the Cyclopes."

"Very powerful," Tyson said. "Wonderful! As tall as the sky. So strong they could break mountains!"

"Kampê was the jailer," he continued. "She worked for Kronos. She kept our brothers locked up in Tartarus, tortured them always, until Zeus came. He killed Kampê and freed Cyclopes and Hundred-Handed Ones to help fight against the Titans in the big war."

"And now Kampê is back," I concluded..

"Unfortunately." Annabeth grimaced then whirled on Luke. "You." She snapped her fingers to gain his attention. "Why is she out? What do you know?"

"Why does everyone assume I know everything?" Luke scoffed. "Just because I'm on Kronos' side?"

"Percy, wanna try killing him again?" Annabeth kept her eyes glued on the son of Hermes. "This time, I'll hold him down so he can't run."

"As much as I'd like to do that, we need him alive." Percy sighed. "Besides, he's just going to screw us over from beyond the grave if we kill him. Tell us what you know, Luke. And since you're blackmailing us to help you, you owe us some intel from the other side."

Luke straightened his polo and took a breath. "Your father plans to raise some of the most powerful monsters. Kampê is just one of them. They're reforming or being broken out of the prisons the gods have put them in. I don't know any exact names but by the time we wage war, they should all be reformed."

Percy smiled but his eyes were piercing with rage. "Now was that so hard?"

"Still think we should kill him..." Annabeth grumbled then looked around. "Why are we in the woods?"

Huh? I looked around us, just now noticing the trees surrounding us. We were in the middle of some sort of clearing but the door that we had gone through to get here had vanished.

"We should take the time to gather ourselves," Grover suggested. "You know, now that there's seven of us."

"Not for long." Percy answered, glaring daggers at me. "We need to get out of this forest and find an exit. Then three of you," He pointed at Annabeth, Tyson, and me. "need to haul your little tushes back to camp."

"But I want to stay and help!" Tyson insisted. "If Kampê is here, there must be a hundred-one. There aren't very many and I want to meet one."

"Kid, you can't be here." Percy started then stopped himself. It looked as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. "Now that you mention it, we ran into a hundred-handed one. We were following my mom through the labyrinth and walked right into a cell-"

"Sorry about that." The mortal apologized.

"Well, if it happens again I'm going to schedule you an optometrist appointment. Anyway, his name was Briares and he was terrified of Kampê. He wouldn't even help us get out-he could've crushed the bars or something. This one here," He motioned to Luke. "managed to pick the lock and we escaped just as Kampê was coming back. We offered to help Briares out but he wouldn't budge-he was terrified."

"You're welcome for that by the way." Luke's smile was smug.

"Oh thank you for being such an amazing thief, Luke." Percy mockingly applauded the son of Hermes.

"You're no saint either, Assassin." The blond shot back.

"Alright, let me at him!" Percy lunged at Luke but Sally and I managed to hold him back. Percy stopped struggling against our captivity when he noticed Tyson's distraught expression. When we let go of him, Percy's hands fell down to his sides. "You okay, Ty?"

One fat tear fell from Tyson's eye. "But the hundred handed ones are strong. Briares wouldn't..."

"Disappointment is such a terrible feeling isn't it, my dear Tyson?" A voice said from my behind me. My head whipped around-I knew that voice distinctively.

Hera.

She was tall and graceful with long hair the color of chocolate, braided in plaits with gold ribbons. She wore a simple white dress, but when she moved, the fabric shimmered with colors like oil on water.

We had never spoken before but I had a feeling she didn't like me. Well, it wasn't just a 'feeling.' She gave me the evil eye at the winter solstice a month ago. Hera was the goddess of marriage so she wasn't too pleased when my father and her husband, Zeus, had affairs. And Zeus had so many affairs, I wasn't sure there was a number big enough to quantify it. Consequently, Hera also disliked the products of said affair, i.e. me.

The goddess snapped her fingers and behind her sprang up a picnic table, plates piled high with breakfast food.

"Come and have some lunch. I have much to discuss with all of you."

While me and my friends were busy chewing down on the delicacies-before you ask, yes I don't like Hera but I liked food which counteracts hate. A lot of people will say love counteracts hate and don't listen to them. They're wrong. Food trumps love every time. Presently, Sally and Hera were talking. A minute later, the women joined us. Sally took a seat beside the goddess, staring at Hera in awe. It just occurred to me that she hadn't meet another god beside Poseidon, let alone a goddess.

"Lady Hera," I nodded to her. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

Hera's smile was so fake. "I'm came to see you, Thalia. Actually, all of you." She glanced around the picnic table, her eyes zeroing on Luke who was at the edge of table, not eating. "Are you not hungry, Lucas?"

Although I was only looking at the goddess, I imagined Luke rolling his eyes. He hated when people used his full name.

"What you do to it?" He challenged. "Did you spike the lemonade or something?"

"Oh please tell me the mustard on his sandwich is laced with nitroglycerin or poison." Percy's golden eyes brightened. "I've never seen anyone die from poisoning before." **(*Cough cough* Zoe, technically *Cough*)**

"I concur." Annabeth's grin was blood thirsty. "There's always a first time for everything. Also, this would be an educational experience."

Hera took a double take. "In what way would poisoning the boy be 'educational?'"

"Studying the effects of a poisoned body is unprecedented-every case of studying poison has been done post-mortem. We would be the first to observe such a phenomenon." Annabeth casually took a bite of her apple.

"Maybe because poisoning someone just to study the effects while they are dying is illegal." Hera drew the words at slowly, probably shocked that she even had to explain this.

"But it's not just to study him," Percy jerked his head toward the son of Hermes. "Everyone would be okay if he were to die-it's not like anybody likes him."

"It's true, I'm well disliked." Luke agreed.

I could goddess was close to face-palming herself. "No, there are no poisonous substances in the food, Lucas. Please, help yourself. Just because you have a distaste toward my family and myself, does not mean I harbor such sentiments towards you."

The blond nodded then took a bit of a PB&J sandwich. "It's pretty good...Lady Hera." He said the last part quietly as if he didn't want to sound respectful towards a god.

"Thank you, Lucas." The goddess' fake smile was plastered on again. "Onto business then, I am here to help you with this quest. Zeus does not allow me to interfere much, I am afraid. But once every century or so, for a quest I care deeply about, he allows me to grant a wish. I know you seek Daedalus. His Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But if you want to know his fate, I would visit my son Hephaestus at his forge. Daedalus was a great inventor, a mortal after Hephaestus's heart. There has never been a mortal Hephaestus admired more. If anyone would have kept up with Daedalus and could tell you his fate, it is Hephaestus."

"We really appreciate the tip and all but we're not really after Daedalus, Lady Hera." Sally clasped and unclasped her hands-a nervous habit. "I told you this earlier-Paul? I need to know if he's alive."

Hera offered a small smile. "My dear, I do not know of his fate. I do wish the best for you two-I can tell you genuinely care about him."

Sally's face fell but the goddess clasped her hand. "Do not fret, Sally. Things will be looking up for you, you will find happiness...for a while, at least." Hera said the last part so quietly, I wasn't even sure I heard her correctly.

"That's good." Sally nodded, taking a breath.

Hera squeezed her hand before releasing it then turned to Tyson who sat to her left. "Should you come across Briares again, you make sure to express your view of him. Maybe all he needs is a little encouragement."

"I will." The cyclops promised, smiling a toothy grin. "Thank you, Nice Lady with food."

"You're welcome, sweet child." The goddess then faced Annabeth who sat directly across from her. "Annabeth, you are about to go through a bit of a revelation. I'm sure you will you go through some...turmoil but you are strong; overcoming obstacles is an every day occurrence for a hero like you."

Annabeth smiled meekly but I know she was wracking her brain over what the revelation could be. There was a pit in my stomach and I shivered. Why did I have a feeling this revelation would have something to do with Lee? Specifically, his death.

Percy was sitting beside me and noticed my unease. "Are you okay?" He asked, placing his hand on top of mine.

"Yeah," I lied, intertwining my hand within his. By this time, Hera was giving Grover a pep talk.

"Now, Grover, you keep holding onto that hope of yours. It's what has gotten you this far." The goddess smiled encouragingly then tsked disapprovingly. "Napkins are not food, my dear."

"Yes, ma'am." The satyr nearly wrenched the napkin from his teeth.

"Thalia, Thalia, Thalia." Hera smiled at me sweetly. "You're brave and strong girl, I'll say that much. You get that from your father."

The goddess winked and I was genuinely surprised-I thought she was going to roast me.

She turned to Luke, a sad smile gracing her face. "I know your feelings about the gods are a bit...heated but I hope you change your mind on this quest. Maybe these half bloods can show you the right path."

Luke scowled. "I doubt it."

Hera shrugged then got up. "Well, best be on my way-" She interrupted herself, her eyes zeroing in on the boy next to me.

A visible shiver rolled through her and her face paled. "You're an assassin. It takes a very broken, twisted soul to do what you do."

The hair on the my arms stood up but Percy had a lazy, predatory grin plastered onto his face. "You're too kind, thanks for noticing."

The goddess sniffed and a bright light enveloped her. We all diverted our eyes and when we opened them, she was gone.

"Well, that was...interesting." Percy said. "Anyway, split up and look for a delta symbol. We need to get back in the Labyrinth."

I nodded, watching the others get up. Luke and Grover went in one direction, placing their hands on a few trees to feel the delta. Sally, Tyson, and Annabeth went in the other. I followed Percy further into the woods, catching up to him.

"Hey, are you not creeped about what Hera said?" I fell into a steady pace beside him.

Percy hopped over a fallen tree and helped me over it. "I don't need a pep talk from her. If she has beef with me then she needs to get in line."

"Are you still mad that I'm here?" I asked, partially not wanting to know the answer.

Percy sighed and took a long look at me. There was something in his eyes I couldn't describe. It was a mix of worry and...and fear? I frowned-Percy seemed genuinely scared for me.

"You shouldn't have followed me. Honestly." His voice was softer now.

"You told me that nothing was going to go wrong so it shouldn't be a problem that I'm here."

"I did, but just in case… I want you to be able to get out no matter what."

My heart stuttered. "What…what are you saying?"

He smiled, but it was forced and I hated it. "If something goes wrong, I want you to get out of the Labyrinth. If you have to leave this state or the country, do it. And if for whatever reason I can't get out of there, you don't stop. Do you understand?"

Air rushed out of my lungs painfully. "You...you want me to leave you?"

Percy's eyes were brilliant as he nodded. "Yes."

"No," I cried out, shaking my head. "I will never leave you behind, Percy."

He clasped my cheeks, holding me still. "I know—"

"No, you don't!" I grasped his wrists, my fingers biting into his skin. "Would you leave me behind if something happened to me?"

"No." His face twisted into a fierce scowl. "I would never do that."

"Then how can you ask me to do the same?" I was close to tears, mainly because I couldn't bear the idea of leaving him. "You can't."

"I'm sorry." The lines of his face softened and he bent his head, quickly kissing me. "You're right. I shouldn't have asked you to do that."

I blinked furiously. "How could you even consider asking me to do something like that?" Now I really wanted to sock him, because my heart was racing and terrible, horrific images were in my head. But then…then I realized something.

"You caved pretty easily," I whispered, distrustful.

He laughed, sliding his arms around my shoulders, pulling me against him. "I just understand what you mean."

Uh, yeah, this was odd. I tipped my head back, searching his face for a telltale sign. But all I saw was tenderness and a bit of the smug self-assurance that was always there. I didn't bother asking him if he was hiding anything, because I doubted he'd 'fess up, and I wanted to believe that he'd seen the error of his ways.

But I wasn't stupid.

"Found the delta!" A voice yelled-Annabeth.

I sighed. Take two of the Labyrinth.

* * *

"Castellan, if you step on my foot one more time, I will stab you. Repeatedly."

Luke's face paled at Percy's comment. "It's not my fault it's so dark in here. You guys are the ones who won't turn on the flashlights."

"It bothers my eyes," Sally said from the front of the group. "I can't see it if there are lights."

"It?" Annabeth questioned from beside her.

"The blue string." The mortal kept her eyes on the floor. "That's what I've been following this whole time."

"Like Adraine's string," Annabeth pulled out notepad and began scribbling on it. It was wonder that she could still see. "Must have to do with the fact that you're a sight seeing mortal."

"Maybe." Sally considered, then tilted her head towards the left. "Left turn ahead."

At the very back of the group, Percy and I rose our weapons, providing some light for the group to turn around the corner. The reflection from our blades helped me see where everyone was. Sally was the guide so she was at the front, Annabeth beside her. Grover and Tyson were behind them and Grover started looking green. He almost eaten by a cyclops once so I think he was still dealing from some trauma. Behind Grover and Tyson was Luke who didn't looked too pleased with his placement. Percy and I were at the very back and Percy would occasionally 'accidentally' wave his sword near Luke's neck.

The seven of us turned left, wary of any monsters that might be lurking around the corner. So far, we hadn't encountered any difficulty. Time in the Labyrinth was all kinds of wacked up but Percy's time powers weren't affected by it. According to him, we had only been in the labyrinth for about two hours. We walked in silence for a while before Sally suddenly stopped.

"There's something up ahead." The mortal turned around to face the rest of the group. "Some sort of obstacle."

"Like a monster?" I suggested then turned to Grover and Tyson. "You two. Do the sniffy thing."

The satyr threw me a look while the cyclops ventured past Sally, heading down the corridor. Grover sniffed, looking around.

"Nothing." He said. "Anything over there, Tyson?"

"I smell nothing." The cyclops' voice grew closer as he rejoined the group.

"Maybe it's a dead end?" Luke looked over Sally's shoulder, craning his neck.

"Let's find out then." Percy took my elbow, walking towards the front of the group. The two of us advanced forward, holding out our weapons for a source of light.

"Looking for us?" Two voices said simultaneously.

"I think it came from the left." I said, moving closer to the left wall.

"Try again." They said but this time, they were further down the hall.

"We should follow the voices." Percy had already begun sprinting down the hall.

"Or we could not follow creepy voices and turn around, you know-towards the non-creepy voices." Grover looked around, trying to find someone who agreed with him. "No? Okay. Down the creepy hallway we go."

"Stay behind me." I told the group, jogging down the hall. The group followed and we came to a sudden halt, catching up to Percy who was staring at a Roman fountain.

We were in a tiny room, the floor was lined with Roman tile, and in the center was a Roman fountain.

"They led us here. The voices." Percy looked around wildly. "There were _right here._ "

"They were just messing with us." I took his hand, leading him away. "We should go."

"Normally I'd agree but there's a slight problem." Grover bleated mournfully. "There's no door."

"No door?" Percy's gold eyes swept around the room. "Yep, there's no door."

"So how are we going to get out of here?" Luke asked, running a hand through his hair.

"You're not." The two voices were back but this time I heard foot steps. Suddenly, a man dressed like a fancy host from an equally fancy restaurant appeared next to the fountain. I stared at his face...better yet, faces. The man had two faces. They jutted out from either side of his head, staring over his shoulders, so his head was much wider than it should've been, kind of like a hammerhead shark's looking straight at him, all I saw were two overlapping ears and mirror-image sideburns. "Well, not until you play the game."

"What game?" Annabeth questioned, stepping forward.

"Ah, perfect!" The man's right face lit up. "We have a contestant-Miss Annabeth Chase."

"What? No, I don't want to play." The blonde shook her head. "What are the rules?"

Left face grinned evilly. "There are no rules."

"You heard lefty." The right face said. "Anyway, you're a bit confused. We're here to clear things up."

"Clear what up?" I asked, suddenly feeling an onset of heat. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Janus," both faces said in harmony. "God of Doorways. Beginnings. Endings. Choices."

"It's not your turn yet, Thalia but trust me, I'll see you soon enough." The right face smiled then turned back to Annabeth. "They're lying to you about Lee's death. About who _really_ killed him. Hint, hint-you have to choose which one of them to believe. That's how the game works." The god winked then vanished into thin air.

Annabeth turned to us, dazed. Sweat beaded down her forehead and I had a feeling that I wasn't the only experiencing the heat. "You two are...lying to me?"

"Now that you mention it, I am." Percy left my side and circled the daughter of Athena.

The heat was becoming unbearable. "You're going to her the truth?"

Percy nodded as I clasped Annabeth's hand. "Before he tells you the truth, I just want you to know something. You have every right to be mad at me and I'm so, so sorry. Everything he's about to tell is completely true. All of it." I nodded to Percy. "Alright, tell her."

"With pleasure." Percy's grin was borderline creepy with a hint of evil. He circled the blonde once more before stopping right beside her. "You want to know truth about Lee's death?" He bent down, whispering into her ear. " _I_ killed him. I watched the life drain out of his eyes and it was unlike anything I've ever felt before. Annabeth, killing Lee felt so...good. If I could do it again, I would. Just much, much more slower this time. Oh and maybe, this time you could watch-"

I heard a loud _smack!_ The sound of skin coming into contact with each other echoed off the walls. I gasped, my right hand flying to cover my mouth.

Annabeth had just bitch-slapped my boyfriend.

Percy's laughter shook the room as he rubbed his jaw. But the laugh was sadistic, without mirth. "Didn't know you had that in you, Wisegirl. Wow! That felt good but I'm afraid it was nowhere near as good as when I saw Lee's lifeless body crumpled to the ground."

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Annabeth now had Percy pinned against the wall, one hand closing in on his neck, another clutched tightly around her knife. "You know, I accepted the fact that it was an accident. Because I didn't think that you would do something so... _vile_ on purpose. But now I know," Annabeth laughed without humor, tears streaming down her face. "I know how you really feel."

Percy's smirk was downright sinful. Chills ran down my back and the hairs on my arms stood up. For the first time, I could really see it. His gold eyes were so bright, they were almost blinding and that sadistic grin promised nothing but misery. I finally saw the resemblance between Percy and Kronos.

"Have you ever heard the sound of bones breaking, Annabeth?" He taunted. "Well, it kind of sounds like snapping twigs. Some bones make different sounds, depending on how large the ligament is. Some sound like someone eating chips or the world's crunchiest cereal. Wanna know what Lee's crumpling body sounded like?" He leaned into her ear and I was unsure whether I heard the last part correctly. "It sounded like someone cracking their knuckles. It was that _satisfying._ "

Annabeth was shaking, the hand around Percy's throat began tightening. "Percy, how...how could you?"

"It was pretty easy actually. Just took my sword and ran it right through-"

"Stop it!" I screamed, running over to the two. I turned to Percy, anguish written all over my face. "Why are you doing this? Stop, please. You're making things worse."

"Funny." Annabeth commented. "It's something he has a knack for."

"You know what, Annabeth? You should thank me." Percy's voice lowered and I think he was struggling to breathe. "First loves _never_ go right. Take me for example, my first love died mere minutes after yours. And take Thuke over here," He gestured between Luke and me. His voice was thick with jealously. "Her first love is a slave to an evil titan."

"I'd watch that mouth of yours, Jackson." Luke snarled. "I'm not Kronos' slave."

"I've never heard of slaves betraying their master and looking for another way out." Percy sarcastically shot back then turned to me. The sadistic smirk was gone, replaced by a tight line. "You didn't even deny that fact that he's your first love."

"What? Are you serious right now? This is not the time to have _that_ conversation." I gestured around the room, the heat rising and filling every inch. It felt like we were in a furnace. "Look around you. Annabeth is literally about to kill you for something you didn't do." I took my own advice, my eyes sweeping around the room. Sally was in the corner, knees pulled taught against her chest. She was staring at Percy in absolute fear.

"He's not _him._ He's not _him_. He's not going to hurt you." Her voice was barely a whisper. "A mother loves her son. A mother is not scared of her son. I love my son. I am not scared of him. Not scared, not scared, not scared..." She kept repeating those last two words and if I didn't know any better I could've sworn I heard my heart breaking. My eyes glazed over to Tyson and Grover who kept looking at all of us apprehensively. They didn't seem affected by this heat, not visibly at least. Luke was by the Roman fountain, staring daggers at me.

I turned my attention back to Percy who eyes were glassy as he stared at his mother. I flinched, that had to hurt. My mother never told me she loved me-mostly because she was a miserable drunk 24/7-but at least she was never scared of me. And especially in Percy's perspective, his mother's fear was like a blow to the chest. Everyone was scared of him. Mostly because he was an intimidating assassin but also because he was the son of Kronos. Despite that, Percy-like everyone else in the world-believed that a parent would always love their child no matter what. But that wasn't the case with Sally.

"Even your own mother is terrified of you and rightfully so," Annabeth loosened her grip on Percy's neck, tears flowing freely. "She told me that herself. And I don't even think you know that because you're always trying to be near her and that's exactly the opposite of what she wants. She's trying to heal after sixteen years of literal hell but she also wants to be your mother. She can't be both, not without driving herself insane."

Annabeth just kept piling on the dirty laundry. "You don't help the situation either. You think you're helping her by sleeping with her in the Big House. In the dark. Think about it for a second. The same kind of darkness that resembles I don't know, tartarus! You're the reason why she can't sleep! She rather go walking in the dark woods than stay with you. Let that sink it. In fact, let me just list a few reasons why she's scared of you."

"First off, your eyes-"

"Hey, no." Grover shook his head, panicked. "I know you're hurt but do not go there, Annabeth. Don't say those kinds of things. Those are words you can never take back."

Annabeth tore her eyes away from Percy and took a long look at Grover. "Good thing I don't want to take them back then."

I only saw one thing in those in those gray eyes: revenge.

"Your eyes," She continued, turning her attention back to Percy. "They're the same color as Kronos'. Sally once told me that Kronos' eyes were the only thing she saw when he was chasing her to bring her to Tartarus. She has really vivid nightmares about those same gold eyes chasing her. She dreams that she's running and it's so dark but she only can see those eyes. The first night she came to camp, she dreamed that same dream except at the end of the dream, there was light and you were the one chasing her. And when she actually wakes up, who's there?" Annabeth cocked her head, mocking him. "You and your gold eyes. But you can't help your DNA, can you? Okay, well let's talk about something that you can help. How about your whole assassin thing? You know, the fact that you kill people. And you enjoy it."

"I'm not a ruthless killer, not like Kronos." Percy said with an edge to his voice. Defensiveness. "I may kill but I kill with a reason."

"Wow, is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night?" Annabeth scoffed. "Alright, you once told me that you originally became an assassin to find out information about Kronos. Okay, now you know everything so why continue to kill? I know why. It's because you enjoy doing such a terrible act and it's the only thing you're good at." Both of Annabeth's hands fell back to her sides and she took a step back. "You destroy everything you touch. It's actually kind of ironic-that I've faced countless monsters when the real monster was right in front of me this entire time. And absolutely no one, not even your own mother, could love a monster like you."

Those last words actually affected Percy. He flinched visibly and my heart went out to him. It's one thing to think of yourself as a monster, it's a whole different matter when someone else admits it.

"Ouch, that was a little harsh." Janus was back and his left face was smiling like Cheshire cat. "Well Miss Chase, we did give you a choice on who to choose but unfortunately, you chose wrong. I'm here to show you the true culprit." The god held out an oily palm to the daughter of Athena.

Without hesitation Annabeth clutched it, gasping as she did so. She threw her head back and stared at the ceiling, gray eyes glassy. She looked to be in some type trance.

"Is she okay-" My knees felt weak and I clutched the wall for support. Sweat poured down my face, causing my clothes to stick to my body. "What's happening?"

Percy tried to reach over to me but instead he doubled over, almost retching. My vision started to get fuzzy and I could barely hear Grover and Tyson calling my name. Within an instant, the scenery changed and my eyes began adjusting to the new scene.

"Thalia, you okay?" Percy was right beside me, steadying me.

"I'm okay." I said. My throat felt a little dry but other than that, I was fine. My knees were steady again and I was no longer sweating. "Where are we?"

The demigod's face was grim. "Mount Tam."

My eyes swept over the area, recognizing it. This particular area was slightly remote from the mountain and it was more grassy. A few feet away from where we were currently standing is where _it_ happened. Speaking of which, there was a figure standing in that exact spot that was just as tall as me.

I pointed to the figure and Percy nodded. We jogged over to the the figure, stopping in our tracks when we realized who it was.

It was me. When I saw myself, I was a little dumbstruck. If you really think about it, you never really seen yourself. I mean, sure you knew what you looked like from a mirror or a picture but that was pretty much it. And since this was the first time really seeing myself, I didn't look too hot. My black hair was a little too long for my taste-almost shoulder length. I liked my hair slightly shorter, it was more manageable that way. I kind of looked willowy, like a tree. Pun intended. My jeans and orange camp shirt were torn in odd places and I had managed to get a huge streak of dirt on my face. A moment later, I realized why I was in such a mangled state. I was fighting Luke-this was the past.

Well not me _me_ , but the other Thalia. Thalia 2.0 was closing her eyes and rearing back her spear. Just as I thrust my spear forward, Luke rolled out of the way, running toward the mountain. Another figure-Lee lunged after him but was caught in my blade. Blood spouted out of his mouth as he tried to form out a few syllables.

He managed to yell one word. "Thalia!"

Thalia 2.0's eyes flew open, taking in the horror. Suddenly, Percy 2.0 sprang into view, gaping at Thalia 2.0.

A gasp erupted to the left and I slowly turned around. It was Annabeth. The _real_ Annabeth that we had just seen moments ago with Janus. And the god himself was there, his right face had a sympathetic expression.

"What is this?" Percy questioned, gesturing to the scene before him. The 2.0's didn't seem to hear us and continued to speak to each other.

"While I may not have power over time like you, I have power over choices. Almost a month ago, you made a choice to place this burden on yourself. I am here to show Miss Chase your choice."

"Annabeth, this isn't real. He's making this all up." Percy was desperate to have her buy the lie. "That's what he does, right? Confuses people."

Annabeth held a hand up, grief contorting her face. She had just watched her first love die and was repeating one of the worst moments of her life. Her attention was glued on the scene before us.

Thalia 2.0 looked like she was hyperventilating. She took short, quick breaths but they didn't seem to be helping.

"No, Thalia, don't. It's not your fault. He thought Luke was going to attack you again so he lunged for him just as you..." Percy 2.0 didn't finish his sentence, instead, he tried to wrap his arms around Thalia 2.0.

"No." Thalia 2.0's voice was disembodied and rang with finality, as if she had just realized what she had done. She pushed Percy away, breaking away from his embrace. "No."

Suddenly, a mind-numbing, piercing scream was heard. Annabeth 2.0 was hurling herself towards the scene, about to experience her heart being torn open. She stopped screaming-well, she was cut off mid-scream and seemed to be frozen.

My eyes turned back to Percy 2.0. who was switching out the weapons as Thalia 2.0. looked on with horror.

"You didn't do it." Annabeth's hand flew out of Janus' as she stared at the boy. Her statement sounded like more of a question. As soon as Annabeth's hand left the gods', the scenery reverted back to the room with the Roman tile and fountain.

When I came to, I was being jolted from left to right. Shaking, I realized. Someone was trying to wake me up.

"Thalia?" A voice-Grover's-asked with an edge of worry.

I sat up immediately, looking around me.

"Oh thank the gods." The satyr sighed in relief. "You okay?"

"Yeah...Janus was-" My sentence was interrupted when Percy shot up.

Sally had left the corner and was standing over her son, worry swirling into sapphire blue eyes. When she realized he was alright, her eyes shifted to a bottle green color.

"What happened?" She asked, briefly touching his shoulder before retracting her hand. She seemed hesitant to touch him, as if he were going to burn her.

"Janus happened." He said, not bothering to explain. He jaw flexed and I could tell he was uncomfortable around his mother now that truth had come out. I think Sally realized this as well because she retreated back to her corner. I looked past Percy and to Annabeth who was now coming around. Luke and Tyson were helping her stand up. Grover helped Percy and me back onto our feet. Janus wasn't in the room.

I rolled onto the balls of my feet, meeting Annabeth's stormy eyes.

"You did it." Her voice was dripping with vengeance as she zeroed her sight on me. As soon as she said that one word, the Roman room disappeared, replaced with a house by the looks of it. It was small, two story house that was completely furnished with furniture and pictures. I wonder if the Labyrinth had taken this form on its own.

"Just trying to make things a little comfortable." Janus' voice called out of nowhere. He wasn't physically in the room but his voice echoed throughout the house. "You guys have a lot of things to air out so you're going to be here for a while. The couch is quite comfy in my opinion."

Annabeth snarled and started forward, towards me.

The daughter of Athena looked like a goddess of vengeance. She stood with her slender legs wide and shoulders back, like a predator who had found her prey. Tyson knew something was going to go down because out of the corner of my eye, he took Sally upstairs. Only Percy, Luke, and Grover remained, trying to prevent the impending fight.

Grover started forward. "Annabeth—"

She raised her hand, and he should've been able to move in time, but she threw her knife at him which caught Grover's shirt sleeve, pinning him to a wall.

Oh, she was so not messing around.

This was about to get bad.

Percy stepped forward. "Annabeth—"

She lunged at him, bridging the several feet between them as my heart lodged in my throat. All Percy did was grip her by the shoulders. He made no move to do anything else, and she took complete advantage of that.

Annabeth shoved her hand at his chest. He only moved at the last second to avoid a direct hit to the heart, but he took direct punch to the lungs. I cried out as he went down, the daughter of Athena right on top of him.

I knew in that instant that she would either really hurt him or kill him unless someone stopped her.

Luke was trying to un-pin Grover as I shot forward, making up my mind.

I grabbed handfuls of her long hair and yanked her off Percy. She hit the floor, arms and legs sprawled like a crab. She looked up, eyes glowing like diamonds.

"You don't want to do this," I said. "You—"

Annabeth popped up. Like didn't even bend her knees, just shot right up and was in my face. "Oh, you have no idea how badly I want to do this."

Then she drew her arm back and cold-cocked me right in the face.

The impact knocked me away, and I landed on my butt as pain lanced through my jaw and down my neck. Blinking fresh tears out of my eyes, I stared up at her.

"That felt so good," she said, cocking her head to the side. "I think I need to do it again."

Oh, it was on like Donkey Kong.

I lumbered to my feet, nowhere near as gracefully as Annabeth. I reared my hand back, slamming my fist into Annabeth's jaw.

Her head snapped back, blonde tresses flying out around her in a way that made her hair look like Medusa's snakes. Dull pain flared along my knuckles, but there was no time to really pay attention to that.

Annabeth launched herself at me, grabbing my ponytail and jerking on my neck. A fiery sensation coursed down my spine, and I reached up, digging my fingers into her arms. She didn't let go, and there was a good chance she wanted to rip my head off.

Time to get dirty.

Twisting in her grasp, I gripped her arms as I brought my knee up, shoving it right in her lady parts.

Annabeth shouted hoarsely and let go, bending over as I straightened. I clutched her hair and brought my knee up once more, connecting with her face. She went down on one knee as I stumbled back, breathing heavily.

"Please," I gasped out. "This isn't you, Annabeth. Whatever this is, it isn't you—"

She was up and her hand was bonding with my cheek in an epic smack, spinning me around in a little circle. Holy mackrel, that stung.

Annabeth slammed her hands into my back, knocking me onto my knees as she wrapped a slender arm around my neck and squeezed.

I gasped, fighting for air.

My battle-hardened ADHD kicked in, and I grabbed her hand and then threw my weight forward. She went right over my shoulder, landing hard on her back.

She shouted something too furiously for me to understand, and I struggled not to find something sharp and plunge it into her eyeball. "We're best friends," I told her, pushing to my feet as she rose. "Don't you remember? We're best friends, Annabeth."

"You're a murderer. You killed Lee." Bluish-red blood trickled from her lip.

I backed up, keeping an eye on her. "We planted flowers together and you borrowed a lot of my CDs and never gave them back. You made Percy talk to me and be nice—you gave him the silent treatment. And you—"

She tackled me to the floor, clawing and pulling my hair.

We were in full girl-fight mode.

Both of us had a hold of each other's hair as we rolled across the floor. I gained the upper hand for a second. "We were roommates for three months and you've saved my ass countless of times. We were on the run together when I was twelve. You almost killed Luke and I with an axe. We were so scared but we had each other. Remember?"

Annabeth flipped me, her nails tearing the collar of my shirt. "None of that means anything." She grabbed my shoulders and slammed me back down with enough force that I was stunned for a second.

For long enough.

Hauling me up, she screamed as she spun around—spun me—and the next second I was flying through the air. I hit the wall. Plaster cracked and gave way. For a second, I could see clouds of white dust fly everywhere and then I was in the basement, toppling over the back of a couch, hitting the floor.

That—that bitch! She'd thrown me through a wall!

I lay on the floor, unable to move as I stared up at the ceiling, blinking out the tiny stars clouding my vision. There was a ringing in my ears as I forced my body to shift onto its side.

Annabeth climbed through the Thalia-size hole in the wall, which was pretty big. Good gods, she wasn't going to give up.

Hands shaking, I pushed myself to my feet, breathing through the unholy burn surrounding my ribs and back. There was probably a lot of stuff broken, important stuff.

She landed on the couch and then dived at me with murder in her expression. I darted out of the way at the last second, and she hit the coffee table behind me. Glass shattered.

Now she looked stunned as she stared at the ceiling, her chest heaving. I didn't give her a chance to recover.

I landed on her, my knees digging into the broken glass, and slammed my hands onto her shoulders. "We're best friends," I tried again, not knowing what else to do. "I call you 'nerd' because you're the smartest person I've ever met." I shook her, rattling her head back and forth. Her hand connected with my face again, wringing a pain-filled grunt from me. "We've been through some harsh stuff, but we've always made it out together, even after what happened to Lee."

She went wild, like some kind of demon straight out of a nightmare, smacking and bucking, kicking and scratching.

"You saw it yourself. I never meant to hurt him!" I shouted at her as I pinned her with all my weight, straining to avoid her swinging hands that hit my face and chest.

"I know that!" she shrieked. "That's why it's so hard to drink in the fact that it's you. I expected this from Percy but not from you...never from you."

"I'm the reason why he's dead. You need to blame me." Every part of my body ached, and I could feel blood in a lot of places, some really uncomfortable places, but I had to get through to her. I had to. "It was my fault. I know that! And I'll never fully forgive myself for what it did to you and to our friendship. But we have to get past that, because you're like a sister to me."

Annabeth froze with her fingers curled along the torn hem of my shirt, like she was about to rip it straight off me, and at that point I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if she had.

"Do you think he'd like the way you're acting now?" I watched the anger seep out of her gray eyes. "He would've hated what has become of you. Can't you see that? You're better than this. You're—"

Annabeth threw her head back and she screamed—screamed like I was trying to murder her, and I eased off, raising my hands. The horrible, wretched sound was like a wounded animal, something dying. She shuddered under me and squeezed her eyes shut. Both of us were still for a handful of seconds, and then she screamed again, until the sound was raw and pained, until I thought there was a good chance she might be dying.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth whispered as another great tremble rocked her frame. As I stared down at her, trying to catch my breath, trying to process the two words, her youthful face crumpled and big, fat tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I tried to tell you-"

"It's okay. It's not like I would've believed you anyway." Annabeth sniffed before getting up, she had a huge bruise on the left side of her face that was starting to swell. She helped me up and I leaned against the wall for support, my joints about to give out.

"I need to go," She said quietly. She began to move towards the door but I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know, Thalia." She admitted, letting out a breath. "I just need to get away from here. I have to...process this." The girl threw open the door which led to several corridors. We were still in the Labyrinth. The girl disappeared in a matter of mere seconds and I tried to follow her but the door swung shut on my face.

"I don't think so, daughter of Zeus." Janus' voice made a tsking sound. "The game isn't over yet."

I groaned, dragging myself back to the boys. At this point, Luke had managed to unpin Grover and Percy was inspecting the Thalia size whole, probably looking for me. Tyson and Sally were back in the living room.

"That was some fight." Percy remarked, gently guiding me toward the couch.

"You could say that." I smiled, blooding trickling out of the corner of my mouth. Grover reached into his pocket and handed me ambrosia, a healing agent. "Thanks." I whispered, nibbling on the substance. Immediately, I felt much better, the bruises and cuts no longer becoming a nuisance.

A period of silence followed before Percy spoke. He had knelt down next to me but was now standing up, towering over his mother. "What is it? Why are you staring at me?"

That sudden onset of heat returned and suddenly, my blood began to boil.

"You didn't kill Lee." Sally said it as if she couldn't believe it.

Percy shook his head. "No, I didn't."

"Huh. Could've fooled me. So you said all that stuff just to get Annabeth to believe you?"

A dark brow rose and Percy cocked his head, taking a step toward the mortal. "Are you trying to reassure yourself that everything I said was a lie? That I couldn't possibly enjoy taking someone's life?"

Sally blanched. "That's not what I meant, I just-"

"You just what, Mom? Are you trying to differentiate me from Kronos? You want to justify my killings, to believe that I am more than just a heartless killer," Sally's son bent down and was now eye-level with her. "Well, guess what Mom? You're not going to find what you're looking for."

"I don't believe that," The mortal shook her head and her fists were balled. "You are a product of a terrible circumstance but that's okay because I'm here now. I'm here to be the mother you never had."

"I don't need your pity!" Percy yelled, furious. "I don't need you. I don't _need_ anyone!"

Sally tried to clasp his hand but her son pulled away in disgust. "Do you even love me?" He asked, voice low.

She hesitated and with every passing second, the tension in the room began to rise. No one moved. Percy was holding his breath, staring at his mom. Sally kept her gaze on him, unable to look him.

Five seconds had elapsed before she spoke again. Sally Jackson clasped and unclasped her hands. "Yes, I do."

I let out a breath, thinking that everything would be fine but it wasn't. In fact, it got worse.

Percy pulled back, raw emotion contorting his face. He pressed the back of his fist to mouth, eyes watering. "You just lied to me." His voice cracked as he struggled to take another breath. "You do that thing with your hands when you're lying. You did it two weeks when you said you wouldn't go after Paul. You don't love me."

Sally didn't even try to deny it but her face said everything. She was sorry but she couldn't force herself to love him. "Percy-"

"Get out." The tears in his were gone and his voice was cold, lifeless. "I can't stand to look at you anymore. Leave."

Wordlessly, Sally walked over to the door then turned around, as if she wanted to say something more. She didn't and walked out the door. The door shut with a ring of finality and no one followed the mortal.

"Hey," I tugged on Percy's hand, trying to get his attention.

He shook his head and dropped his hand from mine. My throat burned as I swallowed the truth. He really _was_ hurt.

"Unbelievable." Luke clapped his hands in a mocking manner. "You claim no one loves but the one person who for some bizarre reason actually does love you tries to reach out to you and you reject her. Is this how it starts, Percy? You push everyone away until there's no one left?"

"Don't push me, Castellan." Percy growled, stepping in front of me to face Luke.

The room's temperature rose and a wave of heat washed over us. Oh hell no.

"Why not?" Luke was now eye-level with Percy. Even though Percy usually toward over everyone and every thing, he was a few inches shorter than Luke. "Because I'm right? You don't appreciate her at all, in fact, you don't deserve her all."

"Percy, don't listen to him. He's just trying to aggravate you." I tugged on the hem of his shirt, trying to plead with him.

His eyes met mine and I thought I saw understanding them but then he shook his head. He nodded slowly, a small smile on his face. "Maybe I don't deserve her but you, Luke, deserve this." Just after he said that last word, Percy lunged forward, clocking Luke square in the jaw. The blond reeled back not expecting such force but recovered, cracking his jaw back into place.

"It's like that, huh?" The boy took a few steps back and stood in a defensive position. "Then bring it on."

Without warning, Percy tackled Luke and the two tumbled to the floor, throwing wild jabs and punches at the other. Percy managed to get on top of Luke and was unleashing holy hell on him. He threw punches from the left to right causing Luke to cough out blood.

"Stop!" I yelled, frantic.

"All I'm saying is that you should cherish her...while she's still around." Luke grunted, pinned under Percy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Percy growled. "What do you know?"

"She's the child of the prophecy, you tool. Out of all of us here, I know just how strong Kronos is becoming and how strong he will be when he merges with his host." His gaze shifted to me, a mixture of sadness and pity swirled into those blue eyes. "She doesn't stand a chance." His voice cracked as he drew in a sharp breath.

"Well, it's a good thing she's not the child of the prophecy then."

Luke stared at Percy in disbelief, he shook his head a few times as if to reject such a ludicrous claim. "You're not older than her though..." Luke narrowed his eyes then a light bulb seemed to go off in his head. "Time powers, of course."

Percy sighed and got up, extending a hand to Luke.

"Are you going to drop me if I take your hand?" The son of Hermes asked apprehensively.

"I wasn't going to but now that you mention it," Percy's humor lacked its usual umph. He sighed, rolling his eyes. "No, Luke, I'm not going to drop you."

The blond seemed hesitant but took his hand. With a grunt, Percy pulled him up.

"You do realize you've made things ten times worse for yourself now?" Luke scoffed as blood trickled from his nose. "Now that you're also the child of the prophecy, Kronos will do anything to get you on his side."

"Like he hasn't already been trying to do that." Percy pointed out then shrugged nonchantly. "Besides, now he can't kill me or else he screws up the whole prophecy."

As if on cue, a shadow fell over Luke's face, highlighting the jagged scar across his face. "He might not be able to kill you but he can threaten to kill someone else if you don't join him."

It didn't take a genius to know who Luke was talking about.

"If he even so much as touches a hair on her head, I will _tear him to shreds._ " Percy's voice was laced with venom. "Are you planning something? Is that why you're here, Luke-to kill her?"

"What? No, of course not." Luke's eyes fixated on me. "I would never hurt you."

"You don't have to harm me physically to hurt me, Luke."

Luke flinched and for a second I thought I saw pain in his eyes. I must've been mistaken because he just shrugged it off and headed into the kitchen. "There better be some ice in that fridge. I feel a major concussion coming on."

"Good." Percy shot back as Luke disappeared.

"You don't have to act like that, you know." I told him. "He's just trying to survive, just like the rest of us."

"Oh so now you're defending him?" Percy retorted, balling his fists. "Are you going to tell me that he's a great person and that he's just made some mistakes? What's your deal with him anyway? Honestly, I want to know."

The heat wave was back again and someone had turned it up to a thousand degrees. I knew this was just Janus messing with us but it was so hard to not succumb to this constant state of madness and anger. "Percy, he was the first half-blood I'd met. The only person I'd ever met that was like me. I felt like a freak of nature growing up and when I met him, it was a relief to know I wasn't the only one. He was my first friend, Percy."

"I bet he was more than that."

Static emerged from my fingertips and I was seconds away from frying him to death. "So what if he was? And I'll be honest with you, if we'd had more time we might've been. There. Happy now? I was honest, now it's your turn."

Percy cocked a dark brow. "I have nothing to confess."

"Oh really? Okay, so why were you talking to Luke last winter? Want to riddle me that one?"

Behind him, Grover let out a low whistle.

Percy pursed his lips and said nothing. I scoffed, of course he wouldn't say anything. Typical. "I'm not deaf, Percy. I heard him say you two had a deal. You promised him something so he must've had something in exchange for you. Since we're letting everything air out, why don't you just fess up?"

"He promised to help me reverse my evil nature so it wouldn't overcome me. In turn, I promised to find another host Kronos could take over." Percy's lips thinned into a lone. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"How were you going to help him anyway? You didn't know about the automaton back then and Kronos can't just inhabit anybody so you were promising the impossible. Unless you willingly became the host, there's no one else who could do it."

The son of Kronos and Poseidon said nothing, shifting his weight to his right foot.

I gasped. "That's what you were planning to do, wasn't it? Give yourself up to Kronos for...Luke?"

"Oh gods no. I mean, technically I was going to turn myself over and kill Kronos. I wasn't going to trade my life for Luke's. No way."

"Oh." I said softly. "So what made you change your mind?"

"I met you."

Despite the fact that we were arguing, I still flushed. "I can't believe you'd even think of doing that, Percy."

"Well, believe it." Suddenly, his tone had a sharp edge to it. "Besides, it's not like you haven't done same thing. Just the fact that you're here could get you killed."

"Just drop it already!" I yelled, beyond frustrated. "I'm already here, it's too late to do anything about it. This is no longer protectiveness, this is...this is paranoia."

"Is it paranoia that I want you to live?" He snapped.

"I'm not going to die, Percy. It really hurts that you think I'm too weak to protect myself."

"It's not that! I know you can protect yourself, hell, maybe even better than I can. It's this damn prophecy!" Percy's chest heaved as he tried to lower his voice. "It's always been about the prophecy."

"You already told me the prophecy, there's nothing about me in there. At least, not on the surface. Percy, just spit out it already."

" _And with one final breath,_ _You shall lose your love to a fate worse than death._ That's that last line. There. That's why I didn't want you to come." A tear trailed down his cheek and he was completely undone. "I don't want to lose you, Thalia."

My mouth felt like sandpaper and a flood of emotions overcame me. I was a little worried for myself but more over, distraught that Percy honestly believed that he was going to lose me. "I had no idea. Percy, I'm so so sorry."

I tried to reach out to him but he took a step back, pursing his lips. "I can't be here anymore. I can't." Before I could say anything, Percy stormed out the house, the front door ringing shut behind him.

I let myself drop onto the couch, feeling numb. My brain was still trying to wrap itself around the events that occurred today.

A second later, Tyson and Grover came up to me. "Are you okay, Thalia?" They asked simultaneously

"I'll be fine." I took a deep breath, glancing at the cyclops and satyr. "How come you guys didn't get in a fight or anything? Did you not feel how hot it was getting-it's like a furnace in here."

"It has something to do with the fact that they don't have human souls. "Janus was back and his right face smiled at me sympathetically. "My powers don't quite work on non-humans. Besides, this group has plenty enough troubles already."

"You've ruined this quest," I told him, looking at him square in the eye. "We're split up now."

"Au contraire, my dear. I've helped your little rag tag group of mischieves. It's best to hammer out all the problem at the beginning of the quest."

My hand curled into a fist and I wanted to beat the living daylights out of him but I decided against it. Minor or not, I didn't want a god as enemy. "Get Luke. We're getting out of here." I didn't know whether Grover and Tyson went to get him but I kept my eyes on Janus. His right face smiled timidly but even his left face was a little creeped by my intense gaze.

"Thank the gods, I'm ready to leave this hell hole." Luke was beside me in an instant, a pack of ice on his black eye.

I gave the god of doorways and choices one last look before passing through the doorway. Oh yeah, he was going to remember my face.

Grover, Tyson, Luke, and I were back in the Labyrinth with no idea where to go from here. Things had really taken a turn for the worse. I had no idea where Percy, Sally, or Annabeth were and we stuck in an never ending maze with no guide.

Great.

* * *

 **A/N-Oh and by the way, there's going to be a sex scene next chapter and someone's going to die. See you guys on Wednesday!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N-Hola! I actually don't have an excuse for not updating, just lazy. Go figure. PLEASE READ: There's a sex scene at the end of this chapter. This is your warning. I will tell you the sentence before and the sentence after it ends so you can just skip it. No offense, but I don't want to hear 'you should've rated it M' in the reviews. I told you guys in the A/N for Untamed that it was happening and I explained why I didn't want to rate this M, told ya last chapter, and I'm telling you now. Alright, long chapter, so get comfy.**

* * *

 **"Does anyone else hear that?"** I asked, straining my ear to pick up the faint sound.

It sounded like...someone crying? Not that I'd blame someone for crying, after all, they were lost in a dark, never ending maze that could possibly drive them mad, surrounded by rotting corpses and skeleton dust.

Tyson's ears perked up. "I think it is coming from this way." He pointed to the left wall which vanished into thin air as soon as he did so.

"I am over here." A glum voice called out from the right.

I started making my way there before Luke latched onto my arm.

"What?" I asked him, jerking my arm away.

"You can't just go running off after someone crying. We have to find the workshop; there's no time for detours."

"No, Luke, _you_ need to find the workshop." I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling loudly. "Look, dude, it's over. I don't know about the fate of this quest. We're too divided to do anything right now. We need to regroup and if we can move past this then great, you get your automaton and Sally gets Paul. And if we can't then...I don't know, Luke."

I started to go forward, towards the sound of the voice, Grover and Tyson right behind me. Luke seemed reluctant but eventually followed.

"So is this what you guys do? Go out of your way to help someone?" Luke had caught up to us and the motion swept his hair in front of his face.

"If we can help, we do so." Grover said. "If I needed help, I'd want someone to help me."

"That's not how it works on the other side. Kronos' side. You make one detour and jeopardize the mission, you're gone."

"Gone as in sent to do another assignment?" The satyr questioned nervously.

A dark look flashed on Luke's face. "No, gone as in dead."

"So if Kronos found out that you are currently committing treason. Would you be…" I trailed off, not wanting to imagine Luke dead.

"Yeah, I would."

"On that joyful note, I think Tyson found something." Grover pointed to the cyclops who was turning the corner.

Around that corner was a cell as tall as the sky, encasing a creature with too many arms to count. At first glance, he looked like a normal sized human with pale skin. On closer inspection however, he had multiple arms sprouting from the upper half of his body. Tyson was looking at him like a kid in the candy store and that's when I realized this must be Braires, the Hundred Handed one.

"Briares!" Tyson called.

The sobbing stopped.

"Great Hundred-Handed One!" Tyson said.

Briares looked up. His face was long and sad, with a crooked nose and bad teeth. He had deep brown eyes—I mean completely brown with no whites or black pupils, like eyes formed out of clay.

"Run while you can, Cyclops," Briares said miserably. "I cannot even help myself."

"You are a Hundred-Handed One!" Tyson insisted. "You can do anything!"

Briares wiped his nose with five or six hands. Several others were fidgeting with little pieces of metal and wood from a broken bed, the way Tyson always played with spare parts. It was amazing to watch. The hands seemed to have a mind of their own. They built a toy boat out of wood, then disassembled it just as fast. Other hands were scratching at the cement floor for no apparent reason. Others were playing rock, paper, scissors. A few others were making ducky and doggie shadow puppets against the wall.

"I cannot," Briares moaned. "Kampê is back! The Titans will rise and throw us back into Tartarus."

"Put on your brave face!" Tyson insisted..

Immediately Briares's face morphed into something else. Same brown eyes, but otherwise totally different features. He had an upturned nose, arched eyebrows, and a weird smile, like he was trying to act brave. But then his face turned back to what it had been before.

"No good," he said. "My scared face keeps coming back."

Tyson was still entranced. "It will be okay, Briares! We will help you! Can I have your autograph?"

Briares sniffled. "Do you have one hundred pens?"

"Kampe is gone," I informed him. "Well, temporarily. Break the bars and come with us. We're going to exit the Labyrinth."

"Yes!" Tyson said, smiling proudly. "Briares can do it. He is very strong. Stronger than Cyclopes, even! Watch!"

Briares whimpered. A dozen of his hands started playing patty-cake, but none of them made any attempt to break the bars.

"He's terrified," Grover whispered. "Kampê had imprisoned him in Tartarus for thousands of years. I don't think he will come with us?" The Hundred-Handed One covered his face again.

"Briares?" Tyson asked. "What…what is wrong? Show us your great strength!"

"Tyson," I said gently, "I think you'd better break the bars." Tyson's smile melted slowly.

"I will break the bars," he repeated. He grabbed the cell door and ripped it off its hinges like it was made of wet clay.

"Come on, Briares," Grover said. "Let's get you out of here." The satyr held out his hand. For a second, Briares's face morphed to a hopeful expression. Several of his arms reached out, but twice as many slapped them away.

"I cannot," he said. "She will punish me."

"It's all right," I promised. "You fought the Titans before, and you won, remember?"

"I remember the war." Briares's face morphed again—furrowed brow and a pouting mouth. His brooding face, I guess. "Lightning shook the world. We threw many rocks. The Titans and the monsters almost won. Now they are getting strong again. Kampê said so."

"Do not listen to her," Tyson shook his head.. "Come on!"

He didn't move. "I'm afraid I can't, young cyclops. I am not like I used to be."

A stray tear escaped from Tyson's brown eye. His voice broke when he spoke, like he couldn't believe it. "You were my hero! You were supposed to be brave but now I know...you aren't brave. You are just scared. Too scared to leave prison and too scared to fight back. That is not what a hero does."

The Hundred Handed One whimpered softly then retreated into the corner, hiding his face. Noticing that Tyson was about to burst into tears at any given moment, I signaled to the rest of the group and the four of us left, delving further into the Labyrinth.

* * *

"There it is again!" Luke pointed to a skeleton of a milkman. "We must be walking in circles. We've passed it like three times already."

"There are plenty of skeletons in this place." Grover pointed out. "Maybe this is just a coincidence?"

"Doubt it." I sighed. "We should call a day and get some rest. In the morning, we'll find an exit. Got it?"

The three guys nodded and we turned the corner, deciding to settle in the crook of the corner. We had humble meal of a granola bar and probably spoiled milk. Tyson was the first to go to sleep while Grover nervously chewed on a tin can.

I opted to take the first shift, moving a few feet away from the group to keep guard.

Groaning, I closed my eyes and lay down. My body felt heavy, like I held the weight of the world on my shoulders.

"Are you feeling okay?" Luke whispered, trying not to wake Grover and Tyson who were now fast asleep.

Several snarky responses lined up on my tongue like little soldiers, but all I said was, "I'm just tired."

There was a pregnant pause, and then I heard his footsteps move closer. Luke sat down beside me. "I can relate. It's been a crazy week."

I didn't know what to say so I kept quiet and for a while, so did he. Luke was probably the hardest person to be around. Because deep down, he wasn't a horrible person, maybe not even a monster. He was just deeply mislead and conflicted.

He brought forth conflicted feelings. Over the last couple of weeks, I had grown, like the others, to tolerate him but not trust him. I didn't want to go easy on him because he was still Kronos' little henchman and I didn't want to feel sorry for him, but I did at times. He was a product of his environment. Wasn't a justification of any sorts, but Luke, like all half bloods, went through a rough patch. He just never seemed to get out of it.

I honestly didn't think anyone knew how to handle Luke.

Finally, he said, "I know what you're thinking. You're uncomfortable with my being here with you, but you're too tired and also too restless to sleep."

Luke was right on all accounts. "I'm on watch. I have to stay up, you, however are welcome to sleep."

"Wow, tell me how you really feel then."

"I don't think you'd want to know." I opened my eyes, sighing.

Luke mimicked my sigh. "I wish things were different, Thalia."

I snorted. "Me, too, and probably a hundred other people."

"I know." He tapped the floor absentmindedly. "I've been thinking lately, about how things would be like if you hadn't taken one last stand on half blood hill all those years ago? Say we managed to escape all those monster and got to camp safely? I probably wouldn't have taken my father's quest and this," He motioned to his scar. "Wouldn't be a thing. Maybe we could've been a thing."

I bit my lip, staring off into the distance. "That doesn't matter, Luke. Can't change the past. Besides, I probably still would've been the child of the prophecy and of course, Percy would've been around so..."

"You still think you would've ended up with him, even if I were around?"

I sucked in a sharp breath, debating on how to answer this question. "Yeah, I'd think so."

"So, you're saying that I would've never had chance with you? At all?"

"That's the thing Luke, at one point," I prayed to the gods that he didn't notice my voice wavering. "You did. You really did."

Luke pursed his lips then sighed. "Wake me up when your shift is over. I'll take second watch."

"Okay." I mimicked his sigh, watching the son of Hermes lie down and close his eyes.

* * *

"Guys, wake up. Like right now," Luke's voice jolted me awake.

"What?" I asked, yawning. I patted down my hair, one hundred percent sure it looked like a rat's nest. "What is it?"

"Look." He was pointing at something in front of me and it took my eyes a second to adjust. When it did, I was so excited I almost peed in my pants.

It was a delta and our ticket out of the Labyrinth. Working fast, I practically jerked Grover and Tyson awake.

"Thank Pan!" Grover rejoiced, his hand practically latching onto the delta. As usual, it glowed and the stone wall separated, and we stepped through the threshold.

I barely had the time to take in my surroundings before a huge guy with stark white hair, a straw cowboy hat, and a braided white beard— kind of like Father Time, if Father Time went redneck and got totally jacked. He was wearing jeans, a DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS T-shirt, and a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off so you could see his muscles. On his right bicep was a crossed-swords tattoo. He held a wooden club about the size of a nuclear warhead.

"Great, y'all made it." The man greeted, positioning his club like a baseball bat. "In advance, I'm sorry for this."

"For what?" I asked, taking a step forward with one hand clutched around my mace canister.

"This." And he swung his bat.

* * *

Once I got over the constant ringing in my head, I was able to hone in on a voice calling my name.

"Thalia, wake up."

I groggily opened my eyes, finding myself staring at the floor. More specifically, at my feet which were tied together.

What the hell...

I shot up straight, realizing that I was sitting in chair, hands bounded behind me. Looking around me, I tried to find familar faces. Sally was beside me, also bound by rope, but she sighed a breath of release.

"Are you okay?" The mortal whispered.

"Yeah but why are we tied up? Where's the guy with the cowboy get-up?"

The mortal jerked her head to the front door where the guy was leaning against the front door, peering at me over his wide-brimmed hat. "Morning, daughter of Zeus. Feeling okay?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you." I shot back, gritting my teeth. "Why are holding us captive? What do you want?"

"Me?" He pointed at himself before kneeling to pet a two headed dog that lay at his feet. The dog began to stir and the man scratched behind its ears. "Shhh, Orthus. As for your question, Thalia; It's not me that wants something. It's my boss."

"Your boss?" I questioned.

Before he could reply, another familiar voice chimed in from behind me. "That's Eurytion, the cowherd for this ranch. His boss is Greyon, they raise animals for clients, mostly gods."

"Annabeth?" I craned my neck as far as I could, catching the sight of her blonde hair. "How you'd get here?" I looked around, also recognizing Grover, Luke, and Tyson tied to chairs surrounding me. Together, the six of us formed a circle in the middle of the living room.

"Exited the labyrinth, ended up here." She replied, drawing in a breath.

"Same here." Sally replied.

"That's how we got here. This must be a trap." I narrowed my eyes at the cowherd.

"What gave it away? The fact that we're tied to chairs?" Luke murmured sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes, clearly annoyed. Percy would've punched him for that statement...speaking of which. "Where's Percy?" My voice sounded calm but I began to panic when I realized he wasn't there.

The front door opened and a man with several chests-I'm talking about three of them-stepped through the threshold. Now you'd think I would've gotten used to weird anatomy after Janus and Briares, but this guy was three complete people. His neck connected to the middle chest like normal, but he had two more chests, one to either side, connected at the shoulders, with a few inches between. His left arm grew out of his left chest, and the same on the right, so he had two arms, but four armpits, if that makes any sense. The chests all connected into one enormous torso, with two regular but very beefy legs, and he wore the most oversized pair of Levis I'd ever seen. His chests each wore a different color Western shirt—green, yellow, red, like a stoplight. The man had a normal head, which was a relief. His face was weathered and brown from years in the sun. He had a slick black hair and a black pencil moustache like villains have in old movies. He smiled at us, but the smile wasn't friendly; more amused, like Oh boy, more people to torture!

"Halfbloods, mortal, cyclops, and satyr. This here is Mr. Greyon, owner of Triple G Ranch." Eurytion motioned to the man with three chests.

I pondered over the title of the ranch. It felt vaguely familiar but I couldn't quite grasp where I had heard of it.

The man turned to me, the corner of his lips pulling up. "You see, I'm in need of some gold. A very wealthy client has agreed to pay a generous amount of gold in exchange for you and your friends. Mr. Jackson chose to bargain with me and agreed to clean up some stables that haven't been cleaned in oh, a thousand or so years. If he didn't return by sunset, I would sell all of you."

"So what's taking him so long? Can't he just use his aqua man powers and clean the stables?" Luke demanded.

"Well, that's easier said than done. The stables house flesh-eating horses so he can't go in and freshen things up." Greyon tilted his head, contemplating. "Actually, he could if he didn't mind being eaten. Nonetheless, I digress. There's a river near the stable but the pesky naiad isn't a big fan of sharing. A long time ago, another hero came through and used the water to clean the stables but um, the river was polluted since then. But it's been four hours, the sun is setting in five minutes, and my gold awaits me."

I gulped visibly, worrying more about Percy than the safety of myself and my friends. If he didn't come back in five minutes, we would be sold and he would feel like it was his fault. I didn't want him to carry that kind of guilt.

"The client you mentioned..." Luke's face paled. "Is it Kronos?"

Greyon's eyes sparked and his features lit up. "Why, yes. Aren't you his little protege? And you're on a quest with _halfbloods_?" The man made a tsking sound, as if disapproving. "He won't be happy with you when he finds out you're a two timer. But he will be very happy with me and pay me handsomely. And that, sonny, is what matters the most."

I remembered what Luke had said earlier about what would happened if Kronos found out about him seeking our help and imagined Luke was probably thinking how screwed he was. "I never thought I'd say this, but I really would love to see Percy's face right now."

Greyon looked at the window as the sun set and sighed, content. "Eurytion, IM our client. Let him know that we have his property." The man smiled widely now. "Now I can finally get that tractor I've always wanted."

The back of my neck felt warm and my smile widened, almost matching Greyon's. "I'm afraid that tractor will have to wait. He's here."

Barely a milisecond later, the door swung open and Percy walked in with that trademark, deadly swagger. The corner of his lips pulled up as he nodded at Greyon. "One clean stable full of flesh eating horses done. It's so clean you could lick the floor."

"That can't be...I must see it for myself." Greyon murmured, walking out the door and presumably toward the stables.

"I could literally kiss you right now." Luke admitted, relief flickering across his features.

"Gross, I don't want to be infected with stupidity."

"Good one, sonny." Eurytion chuckled, walking over to us. "Alright, let's get these folks out of these ropes. I may have tied 'em a bit too tight."

Five minutes later, we were all untied and I rubbed my wrists, trying to get rid of the rope burn. I hadn't spoke to Percy yet but a moment of understanding passed between us and I think we were just glad to find each other in one piece.

At this point, Annabeth timidly approached me, wringing her hands nervously. "Thalia, I'm so sorry for everything I said and did yesterday. I had no idea what came over me. I know what you did was an accident and I know you were trying to tell me the truth but I don't think I would've listen. I've been such a terrible friend to you and Percy, and I don't know how to fix this and I-"

I pulled her in for a hug, wrapping my arms around her protectively. "I'm sorry about Lee. Accident or not, I still did it and I'll never forget that. I can't fix that but it's not too late to mend our relationship. Even with all the shit that went down yesterday, we still managed to get the truth out into the open. And it'll will only make us stronger, understand? We're going to be okay because you're my best friend and I need you."

Annabeth drew in a shaky breath and I felt a bit of moisture on my shoulder. She was crying. "You're my best friend too, Thalia and I love you."

My heart swelled and I thought I would die of happiness. "I love you too, nerd."

We pulled apart and I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.

"I'm sorry I almost ripped out your hair." Annabeth wiped a tear off her cheeks, flashing a watery smile. "It was kind of hard to rip out so you must be using some really good conditioner."

I laughed, my eyes watering. "Girl, please, you know the camp store's conditioner is shitty."

"That's so true." She chuckled but her laugh faltered when she heard heavy footsteps.

"Let me guess, you two are crying because you simply can't comprehend my awesomeness. It's okay, just accept it." Percy's voice was humorous and light.

"Hey," Annabeth faced him, flashing a nervous smile.

I looked between the both of them, wondering what would happen.

"Hi." He seemed to be holding his breath.

Before I could even blink, Annabeth threw her arms around him, practically sobbing into his shirt. "How did we get this fucked up?"

"I have no idea, Wisegirl." His words were choked up and I felt the raw emotion sweeping through him.

The two demigods latched onto each other, communicating with unspoken apologies and forgiveness. After a moment, Annabeth released him, wiping away her tears.

"Are we cool?"

Percy didn't even hesitate. "Yeah, we're cool."

Annabeth smiled up at him then took my left hand and laced it with Percy's. "Well, I'll leave you two alone now. I think I have caused enough emotional turmoil for a lifetime."

I laughed, watching the blonde walk away, towards Sally who was talking to Eurytion. I turned my attention back to Percy who was turn my hand over, like he was trying to search for something.

"Looking for a palm reading?"

Percy snorted, the intense gaze shifting into a lazy smile. "Actually, I was just noticing how bad your cuticles are. You should stop by the Aphrodite cabin and get your nails done."

I wrenched my hand out of his and smacked his shoulder playfully. "Whatever, Jackson."

His smiled widened then faded slightly. "I'm glad you're alright, Thalia."

"Me too. I think I like you better in one piece, Percy Jackson."

"Once again, I think you only see me as a piece of meat." He said, referring to a conversation we had almost a week and half ago.

"Well, I'm certainly not with you for that seaweed brain of yours."

"I beg to differ, this seaweed brain managed to clean a stable full of flesh eating horses and save your life." Percy's tone was one of pride.

Despite how girly it was, I giggled. "How did you manage to do that, anyway? Greyon said the naiad probably wouldn't let you use her river."

"Oh, she didn't but she did give me a tip." The son of Poseidon and Kronos reached into his pocket and placed a tiny, lightweight object in my palm.

I turned it over and a small smile appeared on my face when I realized what it was. "It's a sea shell."

Percy nodded. "They're self cleaning, apparently. So I just threw them in the stable and presto, everything was clean. I kept that one for you, it has a little hole on top, I thought you could put it on your camp necklace."

I flushed furiously then turned my back to him. I handed him the sea shell and pulled my hair up as he unclasped the necklace to place the object onto the chain. I'll admit, my camp beads weren't too impressive. I had received a pine tree for the quest for the golden fleece and a silver arrow to represent the quest to save Artemis. The sea shell added just a hint of personality. The cool object rested on my neck as Percy clasped the necklace together before steeping back to face me.

"Thank you." I told him, my fingers trailing along the grooves in the sea shell pendant. "I think it's lovely, Percy."

"But is it awesome?" He cocked a brow, daring me to agree with him.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Yes, it's so awesome. Twenty brownie points for you."

Percy grinned, clearly proud that he had won this battle. "I'm going to rack up some mad brownie points this year." His smile turned downright mischievous. "Do I get a reward if I turn in said brownie points?"

A blush blossomed onto my cheeks and I knew what he was getting at. Instead, I smiled sweetly and played innocent. "You get the satisfaction of knowing you did something good. And that, my dear Percy, is priceless."

"Bull. Shit." He dared, inviting me to exchange in yet another of our highly anticipated word fuels. And that's when I knew everything would be alright between us. Maybe the world end up in a shitstorm tomorrow but somehow, someway, we would manage to come back to one another. And although I didn't know it at the time, that belief would be the only thing that would get me through what was about to come.

Before I could retort a witty comment, the door flew open to reveal a livid Mr. Greyon.

"The sea spawn managed to clean it!" He hissed, seething. His head snapped toward his employee, all three of his chests rising and falling quickly. "Eurytion, kill the boy and take the rest. I shall have my reward soon."

Eurytion looked bored. He looked at us, eye dull, then back at his boss. "No. I'm done fighting your battles. If you want the kid, kill him yourself."

"How dare you defy me!" Greyon roared, flickering flames of fury appearing in his eyes. "I don't pay you to just sit around-" Greyon doubled over as a blade went through all three of his chests. He crumpled to the ground and his body turned into sand, eventually leaving nothing but cowboy boots.

Luke picked up Backbiter and looked at the group expectantly. "We should start heading back to the labyrinth."

"Right." I breathed, before stepping forward to leave the house.

"There's an entrance 'round the back of the house, near the shed." Eurytion voiced.

I'd almost forgotten about him. "Greyon's going to reform, you know." I told him. "Maybe you should come with us. We can take you to camp."

The man chuckled softly. "I appreciate the offer, Miss but he won't reform for 'nother hundred years or so. Besides, I'm stuck here at this ranch. I can't leave. I can't quit. I just tend the cows and fight Geryon's fights. We're kinda tied together."

"Maybe you can change things," Grover suggested.

Eurytion narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"Be nice to the animals. Take care of them. Stop selling them for food. And stop dealing with the Titans."

Eurytion thought about that. "That'd be all right."

"Get the animals on your side, and they'll help you. Once Geryon gets back, maybe he'll be working for you this time." I added.

Eurytion grinned. "Now, that I could live with."

"You won't try to stop us leaving?" I asked apprehensively.

"Shoot, no."

At this point, the seven of us and Eurytion had walked over to the back of house and were making our way over to the shed, where the Labyrinth's symbol was engraved.

"By the way, my boss was also looking for another half blood friend of ya'll. A son of Hades, I believe."

Percy and I glanced at each other. "Nico." We said simultaneously.

"Did Greyon get to him yet?" I asked, concerned for young boy's welfare.

"Please, Greyon never lifted a finger. I was supposed to do it then I received word that ya'll were coming so it got pushed back."

Annabeth rubbed her bruised wrists, looking at the cow herder suspiciously. "Who told you we were coming? Greyon?"

"No, Miss. It was a man named Quintus." Eurytion said. "I told him my boss had his eyes on ya'll but he was confident y'all could hold your own. He just told me to make sure you guys ended back into the labyrinth safely."

"Quintus?" Percy mulled over the name, glancing at me. "The swordsman trainer?"

"I mean he does know about the quest but how'd he know we'd end up here?" I pondered.

"We'll just have to ask him then." Percy said, his voice ringing with finality. "We're going to have go back to camp. At least for a day or two. We need to regroup and I should check up on Nico."

The demigod looked at his mother, his voice softer. "Are you okay with that?"

Sally worked on her words before releasing them. "Yeah, I need to rest for a while. We'll enter the labyrinth again, right?"

"Of course." Percy confirmed, meaning it.

Grover shifted his feet uncomfortably. "P-Percy, I've got less than four days to look for Pan. I don't think I should go back. Not until I find him."

"I know, Grover. And I wouldn't ask you to." His friend replied. "Do what you need to do."

"I want to go with him." Tyson volunteered.

"A-are you sure?" Grover seemed slightly uncomfortable but I knew he didn't want to stay underground alone. "This isn't your search, Tyson. You can go back to came with everyone else."

"No, I will go with you." The cyclops said, completely sure.

"It's settled then," I said, placing a hand on the delta symbol. "Back to camp we go."

The shed's door opened and an endless corridor of stone walls appeared.

"Take care of yourself, Eurytion." I told the man as the other six ducked into the Labyrinth. "We'll make sure Nico's okay."

Eurytion tipped his cowboy hat. "Same to you, Miss. I'll take good care of these here animals, I promise."

"I'm sure you will." I gave him a small smile before entering the maze. The seven us walked for a while before coming across two corridors that seperated into a shape of the way. Grover was positive that he felt some kind of pull to the right while Sally said that camp was to the left. I was sad to see Grover and Tyson go but I knew they'd be alright. We let them go and the five us turned to the corridor on the left.

Currently, we were taking a sharp right when I saw another endless hallway. A hazy image of the Harbinger appeared at the far end of that hallway. Somehow, the Labyrinth knew we had to go there.

"Look." I told the group, pointing to the image. "It's Nico's club. We have to go."

"But the camp's entrance is right around the corner," Sally insisted. "We've only got a little ways to go."

Percy shook his head. "Mom, we need to go before that corridor disappears. It's a sign and we can't ignore signs. Thalia and I will go. We meet you guys back at the camp soon."

Sally looked shell shocked but nodded reluctantly. Percy looked at the son of Hermes as if to say 'get them back safely.'

Luke nodded, understanding the message. The two demigods spent most of their time trying to kill one another but at the end of the day, I think the two respected each other.

"Let's go." I jogged over to the hazy image, Percy beside me. We stepped into the corridor and the scene shifted to a parking lot, the club right in front of us.

"Do you think we'll get in?" I asked, nervously.

"Yes."

I shot him a look. "That bouncer was really big."

His lips quirked. "Oh, Sweetheart, see, I try to not say bad things."

"What?"

The grin spread. "I would say size doesn't matter, but it does. I would know." He winked, and I let out a disgusted groan. He laughed. "Sorry, you walked into that one. Seriously, though, the bouncer won't be a problem. I think he liked me."

"W-w-what?"

We eased around the curves. "I think he liked me, like, really liked me."

"Your ego knows no limit, you know that?"

"You'll see. I know these kinds of things."

From what I recalled, the bouncer looked like he wanted to kill Percy. Shaking my head, I started nibbling on my thumbnail. Gross habit, but nerves were getting the best of me.

The abandoned gas station loomed up ahead. This time, I wrapped my flannel around my waist, revealing my camp tank top. Apart from that, I was wearing denim shorts and converse. Hopefully, that was sexy enough to get us in. We made our way around the cars. Stopping at the first row, I bent over and tossed my hair over my head, shaking it out.

"This reminds me of a Whitesnake video," Percy commented.

"Huh?" I ran my hands through my hair, hoping for the sexy look and not the "I had my head out of the car" look.

"If you start climbing on car hoods, I think I might marry you."

I rolled my eyes and straightened, giving my head one more shake. "I think that's good enough to get us in."

He stared at me. "You're cute."

"You're weird." I rose up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before I teetered through the knee-high grass. Low top converse—so not a good idea.

The lumberjack bouncer appeared out of nowhere, still in those overalls. Barrel-sized arms folded across his chest. "I thought I told ya two to forget this place?"

Percy moved in front of me. "We need to see Nico."

"I need a lot of things in life. Like I wish I could find a decent stock trader who wouldn't lose half of my money."

Oookay. I cleared my throat. "We won't be here long, but please, we really need to see him."

"Sorry," the bouncer said.

Percy tipped his head to the side. "There's got to be something we can do to convince you."

Oh, man, please tell me he wasn't…

The bouncer raised a brow and waited.

Percy smiled—that sexy quirk of his lips that had every girl at camp stumbling over themselves, and I…I wanted to crawl under a car.

Before I could die from embarrassment, the bouncer's cell went off, and he pulled it out of his front pocket. "What's up?"

I took the moment to elbow Percy.

"What?" The demigod said. "It was working."

The bouncer laughed. "I ain't doin' much. Just talkin' to a douche and a pretty lady."

"Excuse me?" Percy said, surprised.

"Aww, thank you." I smiled. I was starting to like this guy.

The bouncer shot me a toothy grin, and then returned his attention back to his phone. He sighed. "Yep, they're here for ya." There was a pause. "Sure."

He put his phone away. "Nico will see you. Go in and head straight to him. No dancing tonight, or whatever the hell it was the two of ya did last time."

Awkward. I lowered my head and slipped past the bouncer. At the door, he stopped Percy. I looked over my shoulder.

The bouncer winked at Percy as he handed him what looked like a business card. "Normally not my type, but I can make an exception."

My mouth dropped open.

Percy took the card with a flirtatious wink and then opened the door. "Told you," he said to me.

I refused to give him the benefit of a response, instead focusing on the club. Nothing had changed from the last time. The dance floor was packed. Accompanied cages hung from the ceiling, swaying from the movements inside. People grinded to the heavy beat. A different, strange world tucked away in the epicenter of normalcy.

And the place was still alluring to me in a weird way.

Down the shadowy hallway, a tall man waited at the door for us. Minos—the raven haired man we'd met last time. He scowled at us, opened the door, and then stepped aside.

I expected to see Nico sprawled on the couch, playing DS like last time, so I was shocked when I discovered him at the desk, pecking away at a laptop, his face screwed in concentration.

The stacks of hundreds were gone.

Nico didn't look up. "Please sit." He waved at the nearby couch, all businesslike.

Glancing at Percy, I moved with him to the couch and sat. In the corner, a tall yellow candle spread a peaches scent throughout the room. That was all the decoration. Did the door behind the desk lead to another room? Did Nico live here?

"Heard you guys didn't find who you were looking for in the Labyrinth." He closed the laptop and folded his hands under his chin.

"Word travels fast," Percy notated, leaning forward. "Speaking of the Labyrinth, we came across a man named Greyon, owner of Triple G Ranch-"

The boy, the little mini mogul/mafia kingpin/whatever he was became very still. Tension filled the room. I waited for something to blow up. Hopefully not one of us.

"I know about Greyon. And I know he wanted to sell me to Kronos." he said. "But thanks for checking up on me."

"Oh." I murmmured. "That's all we had to say. Guess we'll head back into the labyrinth then."

"Is that so?" Nico's onyx gaze was concentrated. "That's a huge risk and everything has risks. You're lucky you got out of there last time before anything drastic happened. You get another chance. Most people don't."

Talking to this kid was weird, because he had the mannerisms and speech patterns of a well-educated adult. "You're right," I said. "We're still going to try."

"But knowing all the perils ahead and you will still continue? Your funeral, I supposed." He tucked back a strand of black hair, his angelic face impassive. "That's a bit insane, babe."

Percy stiffened beside me. "Why do I have a feeling there's a lot you're not telling us?"

Nico's lips formed a half smile. "I've told you everything I know and then some. Proceed at your own risk."

Annoyance flashed across Percy's face. "That's an interesting ring you've got there." Percy commented pointed to Nico's onyx ring. "Where'd you get it from? Jared's?" he smirked.

He seemed to debate whether he should talk about it and then went with a, "Oh, what the hell. You'll owe me, hope you realize. But what you see here?" Nico flicked a finger along the stone. "It's a black opal—so rare that only a few mines can even unearth these babies. And it's only these kinds."

"The ones that look like they have fire in them?" I asked, leaning forward to get a better look. It really did look like a black orb with a flame inside. "Where are they mined?"

"Australia, usually. There's something in the composition of a black opal that's like a power booster. You know, like Mario gets when he hits a mushroom. Imagine that sound. That's what a black opal does."

"What kind of composition?" Percy asked, eyes sharp with interest.

Nico held his hand up in the dim light. "Opals have this remarkable ability to draw in darkness. It's handy when I need a power booster."

"No way," Percy breathed, and apparently that was super cool. I was still lost on the whole stone and darkness thing.

"Yes." Nico smiled at the stone, like a father smiles at his prodigal son. "It also doubles as a sword." The son of Hades twisted the jewel and it transformed into a pitch black, three foot long sword. The shadows seemed attracted to it because they began to draw near. Nico tapped the hilt twice and it retracted back to its ring form.

"That's pretty sweet." I noted, geeking out over the sword.

"Did you get from that from your father?" Percy asked, sitting back.

A small smile appeared on the young boy's face. "Yeah, he spoke with me shortly after what happened to Bianca and gave me this. He helped me find this place." He motioned to the club. "It's encased with magic similar to the camp's borders-no monsters or anyone with malicious intent can come in. It also acts as a beacon of safety for half bloods. If you pay close attention, it almost draws half bloods in."

That explained a lot. "That's really cool, Nico. You know you can always come back to camp, right?"

Nico's black eyes glimmered. "You know they don't have a cabin for Hades, right?"

I ignored the sarcastic tone. "The offer's still on the table should you ever decide to come back."

"Thanks but it's about time for you guys to hit the road." He tipped his head back, closing his eyes. "Good luck on the remainder of your quest though."

Ah, we'd been dismissed.

"By the way," Nico lifted those long lashes. "You really shouldn't trust a soul in this game. Not when everyone has something to gain or lose."

* * *

We hailed a cab and got back to camp shortly before dinner. On our way in, Chiron greeted us in his centaur form.

He trotted up to us, slinging his bow across his back. "Thalia. Percy. Annabeth's debriefed me on the status of the quest. I know things are going as well as we hoped but you all are welcome to stay here until you are ready to leave."

"Thanks, Chiron." Percy said. "How was your meeting with the gods?"

"Stressful," My mentor admitted, chuckling. "I left shortly after you had chosen your questmates. If you two will recall, I left Quintus in charge but when I came back he was gone."

"Gone?" I echoed. "What do you mean by 'gone'?"

Chiron sighed, the fine lines in his forehead becoming more apparent. "He went inside the Labyrinth shortly after your group entered," He motioned to me, referring to Annabeth, Tyson, and me following Percy's group. "Juniper saw him enter and no one's seen him since. Annabeth also informed that he told Eurytion to guarantee you passage to the Labyrinth so that can't bode well."

"Do you think he's on the Titan's side?"

"I'm not sure, my dear." Chiron looked at me sympathetically. Suddenly, the ice whistle Quintus had given me felt heavy and I wasn't so sure I should ever use it. "It's no matter, for now at least. We've got a more pleasant event planned."

Before I could raise a brow, Silena Beauregard practically appeared out of thin air and jogged up to us. Chiron chuckled and patted me on the back. "I'll see the two of you later." The centaur trotted off, leaving Percy and me alone with Silena.

"I'm so happy you guys are back! You guys came just in time!" The daughter of Aphrodite grinned. "Then we can shopping together. I thought about asking Annabeth if she wanted to go…"

I glanced at Percy as my friend chattered on and he shrugged. "Wait," I said. "What are you talking about? What's happening?"

"What?" Silena's mouth dropped open. "It's prom. Remember? I brought it up once at lunch. I told you how I wanted to plan it for the older campers and you told me to tell Chiron. It's like the demigod version of senior prom. You have to go, Thalia."

Now, I remembered that vague conversation. "Right, but with everything going on…I haven't really thought about it."

Silena's incredulous expression grew. "It's basically senior prom." She repeated, dumbfounded by my nonchalant attitude about the event.

"But…" I tucked my hair back and glanced at Percy. "You haven't even asked me to go."

He smiled. "I didn't think I needed to ask. I assumed we would go."

"Well, you know what they say about people who assume," Silena said, rocking back on the balls of her feet.

He ignored her, his grin fading. "What, Sweetheart?"

I blinked. "How can we go to prom with everything going on? We're going back into the Labyrinth soon—"

"And prom is right around the corner," he said, pulling my hand away from my hair. "So let's say that you, Silena, and Annabeth go dress shopping and we'll have prom. Then the next day, we'll go back into the Labyrinth."

Silena shot forward, hobbling from one foot to the other like her feet were playing hot potato. "And it's only a few hours. You guys can go slay monsters afterwards but I'm just asking for one night."

Percy slipped his arm around me as he leaned, his voice low as he spoke. "You've been through hell lately, Thalia. You deserve one normal night."

I closed my eyes. "Now's hardly the time to act normal, Percy."

"As halfbloods, I don't thinks ever an ideal time to be 'normal.'" he whispered, and then kissed my temple. He pulled back, eyes searching mine. "Will you go to prom with me, Thalia?"

Silena shifted some more. "You should really say yes, so we can go dress shopping and so I don't have to witness a really awkward moment of you turning down Percy. Even though he deserves to be knocked down a peg or two."

I laughed, glancing at her. Silena gave me a tentative smile, and that hope was springing back. "Okay." I took a deep breath. "I'll go to prom—only because I don't want this conversation to get awkward."

Percy tweaked my nose. "I'll take what I can get for as long as I can get it."

A cloud passed over the sun and seemed to halt. The temperature dropped significantly.

My smile started to falter as a chill snaked down my spine. This was a happy moment—a good moment. Prom was a big deal. Percy in a tux and all would be a pretty awesome sight. We were going to be normal teenagers for the night, but the shadow over us had somehow slipped inside me.

"What is it?" Percy asked, concerned.

"Nothing," I said, but it was something. I just didn't know what.

The conch sounded, announcing the beginning of dinner.

"I could use some fries." I told my friends, tilting my head towards the mess hall.

"Me too." Silena said.

"Me three." Percy chuckled, ushering the both of us towards the smell of food.

* * *

After dinner, I went back to my cabin, immediately going through my bag that was by the door. Closing the front door with my foot, I then rummaged through my bag, looking for my Ipod. If this was going one of the few breaks I had before we headed back into the Labyrinth, I was going to listen to some Green Day. I usually kept it in the smallest pocket but I seemed to have misplaced it. I turned the bag upside down, spilling its contents. No Ipod.

"Looking for this?"

I jumped to my feet, my eyes traveling over to my bed. I had to practically yell at my heart rate to slow the hell down. "Chris, what are you doing here?"

The son of Hermes cocked his head and stared at me with a blank expression. "Nothing, I was just looking at your," He paused, looking at my ipod. "your playlist named 'bands that make her dance.'"

Okay... I reached behind me but kept my eyes on him. Chris had never spoken to me, or anyone really, but I had a feeling he wasn't a friendly. My fingers grasped the doorknob but it wouldn't turn. Frowning, I turned around and really tried to twist the knob but it was like it was locked.

"What did you do?" I asked, whirling back around to face him.

Chris was still on my bed, calm as ever. "I picked it. Took some screws out and locked it." He opened up his left fist and released a few screws, each one falling onto the floor with a distinct clatter.

I turned on the lights to see him clearly. I didn't know if this was him acting crazy or if he actually meant harm. On a closer inspection, I noticed he wasn't looking so hot. Chris sat hunched over with his back up against my bedrest. The last time I'd seen him, his dark brown hair had been thick and wavy. Patches of his skull shone under a thin layer of mousy hair now. What happened to him?

His skin was sallow and drawn tight across his face. No fat or form whatsoever, and he reminded me of the skeleton decorations used to scare children at Halloween. Some sort of rash affected his forehead, looking like a blotch of raspberries. His lips were incredibly thin, as were his arms and his shoulders.

Only his eyes were what I remembered. Rich brown, full of strength and determination, they fixed on mine. Something else sharpened them. Resolve? Hatred? I wasn't sure, but what shone deep in them was more frightening than staring down a horde of monsters.

Chris let out a dry, painful-sounding laugh. "I'm a sight for sore eyes, aren't I?"

I didn't know what to do or say. As creepy as hell as it was that he was here, he was in no shape to do a thing to me.

He leaned forward; the movement looked like it hurt and winded him.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

Chris stared back a long moment before getting up and stopping a small table that was in the center of my cabin. He slid a hand over the table. "It's a long story, Thalia. I was sent through the Labyrinth by Kronos to release Kampe. I'm sure your little group came across her. Anyway, things went wrong and someone else had to do it and I..." The demigods' hand shook. "I was punished by Kronos. He's placed some sort of illness on me. Sometimes it makes me seem like I'm crazy other times it does this," He motioned to his willowy body. "It's killing me but he won't lift the illness."

A pang of sympathy flashed through me. "What can I do to help, Chris? Have you tried going to the infirmary?"

"Even the best healer doesn't know what's wrong with me." He stood awkwardly, swaying to the left of the table. "That doesn't matter anymore, I know what I want. I want revenge."

I arched a brow. "Against Kronos? Not sure how you're going to pull that off."

He placed one hand on the table, supporting himself. "Kronos has an obsession with Percy. He's always had it in mind to use him as a host and he won't stop until it's carried through. It's like a fantasy of his."

"I'm not following..."

He bared yellow teeth. "But you two are joined, right? One life split into two. One of you dies, so does the other."

I snapped to attention. My stomach lurched.

He caught my reaction. "If I had to pick what I'd want to accomplish here, it would be to make Kronos suffer, just like I have. To crush his dreams into dust."

His intentions sunk in slowly. A buzzing filled my ears and my mouth dried. He wanted to kill us. With what? His evil-eye power? Hermes' kids didn't have any really fatal powers and Chris didn't even look like he was well enough to use the powers he did have.

Chris pulled a gun out from underneath his loose shirt.

Oh, yeah, that would do it.

"You can't be serious," I said, shaking my head.

"I'm as serious as they come." He took a breath, and his chest rattled a death sound. "And everyone here has been so kind to me, especially Clarisse but it has to be this way. I didn't come back to sing Kumbaya with everyone at the camp fire. I came to punish Kronos. And if you're wondering why I came to kill you instead of Percy first, I figured you'd be more willing to understand me. I mean, you would want Kronos to suffer, right?"

"Not the expense of my own life." I retorted. "Look, Chris, you're not thinking straight. We're going to fight Kronos and we're going to kill him. You'll get your justice if you just wait."

"I don't have time!" The demigod roared. "Not like Kronos! He has all the time in the world. Even you do manage to kill him, he will reform. It might take centuries but he's doing it now, and he can certainly do it again. By the time you guys even make a dent in him...I'll be dead." Chris' voice faltered then picked back up again. "But it's no matter, I'll kill Percy and it might not make a huge difference to Kronos, but it'll do something."

"Is that all our lives are worth to you? Kronos isn't going to lose sleep if we were to die. Chris, please. We will find another way to heal you. I swear."

"I'm sorry that your life is tied to him but I have to take him out. Besides, it's kind of poetic, don't you think? Like Romeo and Juliette. But don't worry, I'll shoot somewhat close to your heart so so you won't die immediately. And likewise, he's not going to die instantaneously, right? He'll know that he won't be facing the Underworld alone."

How fucked up was that?

My heart tripped up. Ice water slipped over my skin. Like a switch being thrown inside me, something else took over. It wasn't the Thalia who had offered to help him mere seconds ago.

This was the girl who stood before Lee and watched the life seep out of him.

Maybe later I would be bothered by how quickly the change came over me. How easy it was for me to go from the girl who'd just agreed to go to prom to this stranger who now occupied my body, ready to do anything to protect those I loved.

But right now, I didn't care.

"You're not going to hurt me," I said. "And you are sure as hell are not going to hurt Percy."

Chris lifted the gun. The metal looked too heavy for his feeble hand. "What are you going to do, Thalia?"

"What do you think?" I took a bold step forward, my brain and mouth propelled by this stranger. "Come on, Chris, you're smart enough to figure it out on your own."

"You don't have it in you."

Calmness settled over me, and I felt my lips spread into a smile. "You don't know what I'm capable of."

Up until then, I hadn't known what I was capable of, not truly, but seeing Chris, staring down the barrel of that gun, I knew exactly what I was capable of. And as wrong as it may be, I was okay with what I was going to have to do.

Completely accepting of it.

There was a part of me that was scared of how easy that acceptance was and I wanted to cling to the old Thalia, because she would've had a problem with this. She would've been sickened by this and the words I was saying.

"You do look a little ill, Chris. You might want to get checked out. Oh, wait." I widened my eyes innocently. "You can't go to a regular doctor because they wouldn't even know how to diagnose you."

The hand around the gun trembled. "You think you're so smart and brave, don't you, little girl?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps, but I do know I'm completely healthy. What about you, Chris?"

"Shut up," he hissed.

Stepping next to the small table, I eyed the gun. If I could distract him, then I could take him out.

"Just think of you joining Kronos, thinking that you were on the winning side and it didn't even work out in the end," I said. "And you've lost your sanity and health. Karma's a tool, isn't it?"

"You stupid bitch." Spit flew from between his chapped lips. "I'm going to kill you, and you'll die knowing that your precious boyfriend will be dead, too."

My humanity clicked off. I was so done with this.

Chris smiled. "Where's your smart mouth now?"

My gaze dropped to the gun, and I felt the sheer power soar over my skin. My fingers splayed, their tips already tingling. Drawing in the power, I focused on the gun. His hand shook again. The muzzle of the gun swayed to the left. The trigger finger twitched.

Chris's throat spasmed as he swallowed. "What… What are you doing?"

I lifted my gaze, and I smiled.

His bloodshot eyes widened. "You—"

I waved my hand to the left and several things happened next. There was a popping sound, like a cork being pulled from a champagne bottle, but the sound and everything else was lost in the roar of electricity that flowed outward and then the gun flew from his hand.

It was a bolt of lightning—pure and raw.

The stream of whitish-red light arced across the room, slamming into Chris's chest. Maybe—maybe if he wasn't so ill, it wouldn't have done much, but the man was weak and I wasn't.

He flew backward, bouncing off the wall next to my bed, his head flopping on his neck like a rag doll. He made no sound as he hit the floor in a boneless heap. That was it—it was over.

I exhaled and something—I don't know, something went wrong. Air was stuck in my throat, in my lungs, but when I dragged in a breath, there was this burning pain I hadn't noticed before. But as my power receded back into me, the burning grew across my chest, spread over my stomach.

I looked down.

A red inkblot had formed on my band t-shirt and it spread…larger and larger, an irregular circle that bled.

I pressed my hands against the circle—it was damp, warm, and sticky. Blood. It was blood—my blood. My head swam.

"Percy," I whispered.

* * *

I don't remember falling, but I was staring at the ceiling, trying to keep my hands pressed to the gunshot wound, because I'd seen people do that on TV, but I couldn't feel my hands, so I wasn't sure if they were there or by my sides.

My face was wet.

I was going to die in minutes, maybe sooner, and I'd failed Percy. Failed him, because Percy would die, too.

A shudder rolled through my body and my chest labored for breath. I didn't want to die alone on the cold, hard floor. I didn't want to die at all. I blinked and when I reopened my eyes, the ceiling was fuzzy.

Nothing really hurt, though. Movies got that right. There was a point where there was so much pain I couldn't process it or I was beyond it. Probably beyond it…

The front door opened and a familiar voice called out, "Thalia? Where are you? Something's wrong with Percy…"

My lips worked, but there was no sound. I tried again. "Annabeth?"

Footsteps crept closer and then, "Oh my gods…oh my gods."

Annabeth was suddenly in my line of sight, her face fuzzy around the edges. "Thalia—holy crap, Thalia…hold on." She moved my bloodstained hands away and placed hers over the wound as she looked up, seeing Chris crumpled beside my bed. "Gods…"

I worked to get out one word. "Percy…"

She blinked rapidly, her form fading out for a second and then her face was in front of mine, her eyes a bleak gray. "Beckendorf and Michael are bringing him over. He's okay. He's going to be okay, because you're going to be okay. Got that?"

I coughed out a response and something wet and warm covered my lips. It had to be bad—blood—because Annabeth's face paled even more as she placed both of her hands over the wound and applied pressure.

My lids seemed way too heavy and it was becoming harder to breathe.

But I had to hang on, because it wasn't just my life that hung in the balance. It was Percy's. So I forced my eyes open, kept them trained on Annabeth, watching as her press down harder on the wound.

"Am I hurting you?" She asked.

"I can't...feel anything."

And then there were voices. I recognized Michael's and Beckendorf's. There was a thud beside my head and then he was there, his beautiful face pale and strained. I'd never seen him so pale, and if I concentrated, I could feel his heart laboring like mine. His hands were shaking as they touched my cheeks, smooth under my parted lips.

"Percy…"

"Shh," he said, smiling. "Don't talk. It's okay. Everything is okay."

Micheal Yew bent down, gently pulling Annabeth's stained hands back. "You can stop now."

Beckendorf was holding Percy, keeping him in an upright position. Percy never needed help. He was the strongest person I've ever met—is the strongest. Panic blossomed.

The son of Apollo laid his hand over Percy's wound and began speaking an incantation.

"No," Percy croaked "her first."

Michael looked like he wanted to argue but thought better and placed his hands on me. In that moment, it was only me and Percy. The rest of the room slipped away.

Heat flowed through me and then I wasn't really thinking. I heard Percy's voice was in my thoughts, murmuring reassurances over and over again. I felt light, airy, and complete. It was all just my imagination but it was comforting.

Percy… I said his name over and over again. I don't know why, but it was grounding to just hear his name.

And when I closed my eyes, they didn't reopen. The renewing warmth was in every cell, easing through my veins, settling into my muscles and bones. Heat and safety pulled me under and the last thing I heard was Percy's voice.

"You can let go now."

I did.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, a candle somewhere in the room flickered and danced in the shadows. I couldn't move my arms and I didn't know where I was for a second, but as I dragged in a deep breath, an earthy scent surrounded me.

"Percy?" My voice was hoarse, dry from panic.

The bed—I was in a bed—dipped and out of the darkness came Percy. Half of his face was bathed in shadows. His eyes were a bright amber that stood out in contrast to the shadows.

"I'm here," he said. "Right beside you."

I swallowed, keeping my gaze fixed on him. "I can't move my arms."

There was a deep, throaty chuckle and I thought it was terrible that he would laugh when my arms couldn't move. "Here, let me fix that for you."

Percy's hands felt around me, finding the edges of the blankets. He loosened them. "There you go."

"Oh." I wiggled my fingers and then slipped my arms out. A second later, I realized I was nude—completely nude under the blankets. Fire swept over my face and down my neck. Did we…? Why wouldn't I remember _that_?

I clasped the edge of the blanket, wincing as skin pulled over my chest. "Why am I naked?"

Percy stared back at me. One second passed and then two, three. "You don't remember?"

It took a moment or so for my brain to process everything and when it did, I sat up and started to jerk the blanket away. Percy stopped me with his hand. "You're fine. There's just a tiny mark—a scar, but it's really faint," he said, his large hand surrounding mine. "Honestly, I doubt anyone would notice it unless they were looking really close, and I'd be deeply perturbed if anyone was looking that close."

My mouth worked without sound. Around us, the candle threw shadows along the wall. It was Percy's cabin, I recognized the faint shadow of the saltwater fountain in his cabin.

Chris had shot me—shot me right in the chest and I…I couldn't finish that thought. "Oh, gods, Clarisse."

"She knows. She's...handling it." Percy chose his words carefully but I had a feeling the daughter of Ares was out on a rampage.

"Annabeth helped get you cleaned up." He changed the subject. "She put you in the bed. I didn't…help her."

"Oh. Okay."

"Are you sure you're okay?" He reached to touch me but stopped, his hand lingering an inch or so from my cheek.

I nodded. I'd been shot—shot in the chest. That thought was on repeat. I'd come close to death one too many times, in fact, last winter Percy took a bullet for me. But to be actually close to death was a whole different ballpark. It was going to take me a few moments to fully comprehend that, especially since it didn't seem real.

"I shouldn't be sitting up and talking to you," I said dumbly, peering through my lashes. "This is…"

"I know. It's a lot." He touched me then, placing the tips of his fingers on my lips reverently. He let out a shaky breath. "It's really a lot."

I closed my eyes for a moment, soaking in the low hum and warmth his touch brought. "How did you know?"

"I felt short of breath all of a sudden," he said, dropping his hand and inching closer. "And there was this red-hot feeling in my chest. My muscles wouldn't work right. I knew something had happened. Luckily, Beckendorf was talking to me in the mess hall when it happened. He and Michael were able to get me out without causing too much commotion. Annabeth was already on her way to your cabin. Just a coincidence, really."

"Does Chiron know?" I asked, toying around with the edge of the blanket.

"Yeah, he does. Trying to keep it underwraps and all." A smile appeared on his lips. "I'd never been so scared in my life. I had Beckendorf practically carry me over here. I…was too weak to get here myself."

I recalled how pale he'd looked and that Beckendorf had been supporting him. "How do you feel now?"

"Perfect." He tilted his head to the side. "You?"

"I feel fine." Only a dull soreness lingered, but it was nothing. "This is would be second time you saved me from a bullet."

"Are you keeping score?" Percy had a small smile on his face. "Well, technically, this time you did get shot and technically, Michael saved us. I can't leave you alone for one second, Sweetheart."

"Shut it, Jackson." Suddenly, another concern rose. Twisting on the bed, I searched out the bedside clock in the dark. Digital green lights showed that it was only a little past one in the morning. I'd slept for about six hours.

"I have to go back to my cabin," I said, gathering the blanket around me. "There has to be blood-"

"It's all been taken care of." He stilled me. "They took care of Chris and the cleaning Harpies already passed through. It'll be like nothing even happened in there."

Relief was potent and I relaxed, but it didn't last long. An image surfaced of me standing in the cabin, smiling at Chris and goading him, sending a shudder through me. Silence fell between us as I stared into the darkened room, replaying the evening over and over. I kept getting caught on how calm I had become, how cold I'd felt when that part of me decided I was going to have to…have to kill Chris.

And I had.

A bitter taste filled the back of my throat. I had killed people and accident or otherwise, that counted Lee. A life was a life, Percy had said. So did that include monsters? If so, then I had taken dozens of lives.

My breath rose and got stuck around the quickly rising lump in my throat. What was worse than the knowledge that I had taken lives was my acceptance of doing so. I'd had no qualms about what I did when it happened and that wasn't me—that couldn't be me.

"Thalia," he said softly. "Sweetheart, what are you thinking?"

"I killed him." Tears welled up and spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. "I killed him, and I didn't care at all."

He placed his hands on my bare shoulders. "You did what you had to do, Thalia."

"No. You don't understand." My throat tightened and I struggled for breath. "I didn't care. And I should care about these kinds of things." I laughed hoarsely. "Oh, gods…"

Pain flickered in his bright gaze. "Thalia—"

"What's wrong with me? Something is wrong with me. I could've just disarmed him and stopped him. I didn't have to—"

"Thalia, he tried to kill you. He shot you. You acted out of self-defense."

It all sounded reasonable to him. But had I? The man was weak and frail. Instead of goading him, I could've disarmed him and that was it. But I killed him…

My control slipped and broke. I felt twisted inside, balling up into so many knots I thought I'd never be straightened out again. This whole time I had been so convinced that I could do what was necessary, that I could easily kill and when it came down to it, I had killed, but Percy had been right. Killing wasn't the hard part. It was what came afterward—the guilt. It was too much. All the ghosts of those who'd died by my own hand and those who had passed on who were tied to me appeared, surrounding me and choking me until the only sound I could make was a hoarse cry.

Percy made a sound in the back of his throat and pulled me into his arms, blankets and all. The tears came, they kept coming, and he rocked me, holding me close. And it didn't seem right or fair that he'd comfort me. He didn't know how easy it had been for me to throw that switch, to become someone else. I wasn't the same girl. Not the Thalia who had changed him and inspired him to be different.

I wasn't her.

I struggled to pull free, but he held on and I hated that—hated that he didn't see what I saw. "I'm a monster. I'm like Kronos."

"What?" Disbelief thickened his tone. "You are nothing like him, Thalia. How can you say that?"

Tears streaked down my cheeks. "But I am. He's a ruthless killer and I felt nothing when I killed Chris. How is what I did any different? It's not!"

He shook his head. "It's not the same. What you're feeling right now is guilt. That's something I doubt Kronos would ever feel."

"That's how you're different from him," I realized, taking a good look at him. "You feel guilt."

"Yes, I do."

I dragged in air by the lungful. "I'd do it again. I swear I would. If anyone threatened me or you or any of friends, I would. And I knew that after everything that had happened with Luke and Lee. That's not how people react—it's not right."

"There's nothing wrong with protecting those you love," he argued. "Do you think I've enjoyed killing those I have? I haven't. But I wouldn't go back and change those things."

I wiped at my cheeks as my shoulders shook. "Percy, it's different."

"How is it?" He grasped my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him through tear-soaked lashes. His fingers chased after the tears and he dipped his head, catching my gaze when I tried to look away. "And I hated what I have done—I hated every time I've taken a life, but I can't just stop being an assassin. Back in the Labyrinth, even though Annabeth was being bat shit crazy, she was right-I don't have keep assassinating people. Lately, I don't even kill people for information. I have to kill them before they kill me. I couldn't stop being an assassin even if I wanted to. It's either kill or be killed. But you, you don't have to accept taking a life. You don't become okay with it, but you do come to understand it."

I grasped his wrists. They were so thick that my fingers barely met. "But what…what if I was okay with it?"

"You're not okay with it, Thalia." His belief in that statement, in me, rang true in his voice, and I couldn't understand that blind faith. "I know you're not."

"How can you be so sure?" I whispered.

Percy smiled a little. Not a full breathtaking kind of smile, but it still reached down into me, wrapping around my heart. "I know you're good inside. You're warmth and light and everything I don't deserve, but you—you believe that I deserve you. Knowing all that I have done in my past to other people and to you, you still believe I deserve you."

"I—"

"And that's because you're good inside—you've always been and will be." His hands slipped down my throat, to curve around my shoulders. "There is nothing you can say or do that will change that. So grieve what you had to do. Mourn it, but never, ever blame yourself for things that are beyond your control."

I didn't know what to say.

His smile slipped into that smug half grin that infuriated and thrilled me. "Now get the rest of that crap out of your head, because you're so much better than that; you're more than that. You're beautiful. You're full of light."

His words, well, they may not have washed away everything and they may not have changed the part in me that wasn't as perfect as he thought, but they wrapped around me like a soft down comforter. They were enough for that moment to…to understand what I had done and that was important, that was enough. There weren't any words for how much I appreciated what he said and what he had done. A thank-you wasn't enough.

Still shaking, my hands balled up into those tiny knots, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. His fingers tightened around my shoulders as his chest rose sharply. I tasted my own salty tears on his lips and as the kiss deepened, I tasted my own fear.

But there was more.

There was our love—there was our hope that we'd walk out of this with a future. There was our acceptance of each other—the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. There was so much pent-up longing. So much emotion that it packed a sucker punch straight to my soul and his, I knew it, because I could feel his heart rate picking up. Mine matched his—made for his. All of that was in a simple kiss and it was too much, not enough, and just perfect.

I pulled back, drawing in a sharp breath. Our eyes locked. A wealth of emotion shone in his brilliant gold eyes. He cupped my cheek with one hand tenderly, and he spoke in a low voice. It sounded like three lyrical words—a short, beautiful verse.

"What did you say?" I asked, my fingers loosening around the cover.

 *****************************Cue sex scene. Please scroll down until you see another line break like this of you don't want to read it*****************

His smile was secretive and then his lips were on mine again and my eyes drifted shut. I let go of the blanket, felt it slip away, pool around my hips, and I felt Percy stop breathing for a moment.

He guided me back, and I wrapped my arms around him. We kissed for what felt like an eternity and that wasn't long enough. I could keep going, never stop, because in that moment, we created a world where nothing else existed. We lost ourselves in each other for a while and time, it sped and crept by in the same instance. We kissed until I was breathless, pausing only to explore each other. We were warm and flushed, twisting against each other. My body arched against his and when I moaned, he stilled.

He lifted his head but said nothing. Stared for so long and so hard that every point in my body seemed stretched too far. My chest squeezed. I reached up, placing my trembling hand on his cheek.

His head dipped against my cheek, and his voice was rough and raw. "Tell me to stop and I will."

I wasn't going to. Not now. Not after everything. There was nothing to deny anymore, and my answer was to kiss him, and without words, he understood.

He settled over me, not touching, not quite. The electricity between us snapped and pulled. A wild feeling pulsed through me. I lifted my hands, sinking them into his hair, pulling him closer. I swept my lips over his, and his body trembled. His fiery eyes drifted shut as my thumb moved on his bottom lip. My hands were on the move, slipping over the thick cords in his neck and back, around his chest and down. Lower, over the hard planes of his stomach. He sucked in a sharp breath.

The edges of my body started to glow, casting the room in a soft light. Heat rolled off his body. Percy's eyes snapped open and he sat up, pulling me into his lap. In his eyes, I saw my own eyes. They were no longer blue, just orbs of pure light. Like a quick, powerful bolt hitting the ground. My heart tripped over itself. A fire started in my stomach, spreading through me like a wave of lava.

His hands trembled on my hips and the sudden onslaught of fresh, unbridled power washed over me. It was like touching fire or being hit by a thousand volts of electricity. It was exhilarating.

I'd never been more excited, more ready.

When his lips met mine, a thousand emotions erupted in me. His taste was delicious and addictive. I pressed against him, our kisses deepening until I was swimming in heady sensations that beat against every pore in my body. Everywhere we touched my skin came alive. His lips trailed a fiery path from mine to the column of my throat.

Our hands were everywhere. His fingers were on my stomach, moving up, between my ribs. There seemed to be something slower about this. Each touch was measured and precise. Breathing became difficult as our explorations grew. This was definitely not his first time at any of this, but he didn't rush and he shook as much as I did.

His jeans ended up somewhere on his floor and our bodies were flush. Hands delving lower and lower. Percy took his time even when I was pushing him to go faster. He slowed it down, made it last for what felt like forever…until neither of us could wait any longer. There was no awkwardness here. Most things were expected. Percy had protection and there was discomfort…at first. Okay. It hurt, but Percy… He made it better. And then we were moving against each other.

Being this way with him was like tapping into the my power but more powerful. The roller-coaster feeling was there, but different and deeper, and he was right there with me. It was more than perfect and beautiful.

 ***********************************It's over! That was pretty short, huh?****************************************************************

After what felt like hours later and honestly could've been, Percy kissed me softly, deeply. "Are you okay?"

My bones felt like mush in a totally good way. "I'm perfect." And then I yawned, right in his face. How romantic.

Percy busted into laughter, and I turned my cheek into the pillow, trying to hide. He didn't let me, though. As if I expected anything less. He rolled onto his side, pulling me against him, tilting my head toward his.

His eyes searched mine. "Thank you."

"For what?" I loved the feel of his arms around me and how I fit against him, hard against soft.

He trailed his fingers over my arm, and I was amazed by how he could make me shiver.

"For everything," he said.

Elation swelled inside my chest, and as we lay in each other's arms, our breaths coming out ragged, our bodies tangled together, we still couldn't get enough of each other. We kissed. We talked. We lived.

* * *

 **A/N-This is (as far as I know) the last time I'll describe a sex scene. I will allude to it in the next chapter, in the same way that I've casually thrown hints of sexual themes before. Think of a few chapters back, when Silena and Thalia were picking out her outfit for the club-same dealio. Then next book, I'll allude but not describe. I tried not to mention any body parts but what can ya do?**

 **At The Sorrowful Deity: Not who you expected to die, huh? Trust me, that's coming soon, it's just a bit premature for now.**

 **Next update is next saturday, I'm now officially back in school (Send help) so we're probably going to go back to the once a week updates. At least, until I get the hang of my classes and I know I can update twice a week. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N-Hey look who finally updated?! Not dead, just busy. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **When I left Percy's cabin early in the morning, he stayed with me until the conch for breakfast rang.** Then he did that freaky, super speed thing and got out without being seen. But while he'd lay there in bed beside me, apparent that he didn't want to leave me alone after what happened with Chris, I never felt safer in my life. Sex had nothing to do with that, but when he came back in the afternoon and we left for lunch, every small look and brush of our skin meant something infinitely more—a tender and knowing quality that had been there before, but was emphasized.

I didn't look any different. Part of me thought it would be posted on my forehead or something. Life went on and for a little while. It was the same… a little better in some areas, but for the rest of the day, Percy and I had very little time together. No one talked about Chris with the exception of asking if I was okay. Other than that, it was like that event never happened. There was a really good chance that Percy had something to do with that. One of the first things I did the next day during class was accept Silena's invitation to go shopping for prom dresses. I was thrilled when she perked up and began rambling about the dance.

"Thalia, you would look gorgeous in a sweet heart neckline!" The daughter of Aphrodite took a leaned back in her chair and scrutinized every inch of me. "Or maybe a high-low? Either way, you've got a killer bod. You can pull anything off."

I laughed. "I wish! But seriously, the dance will be amazing especially with you planning it."

"Of course it will," she giggled then sighed. "I'm just glad Annabeth is coming with us. I miss her, especially after… Yeah, I just miss her."

My smile was a bit wobbly. Whenever Lee came up in conversation, no one ever knew how to handle it. Luckily, for today, we were interrupted by Percy, who decided to tug on my ponytail like a six-year-old.

He sat behind me and then poked me in the back with his trusty pen.

I rolled my eyes at Silena and then turned around. "You and that damn pen."

"You know you love it." He leaned over his desk, tapping it off my chin. "Anyway, I've talked to Chiron and we should be heading back in the Labyrinth in two days. You should go shopping tonight, we'll do prom tomorrow, then we'll leave on sunday."

"Sounds good. Have you cleared it with your mom and Annabeth?"

"Yeah, they're on board." He took his pen and sat back, winking at me.

Oxygen fled my brain while blood rushed everywhere. Laughing, I winked back and turned around.

After class, the rest of the afternoon crept by in a slow procession. The cosmos were working with me which kind of made me wary. Things shouldn't be turning out this well, there had to something ominous waiting for me around the corner.

I went into the arena to train a bit and Percy was outside when I finished, waiting for me. I had made it three steps before he caught me around the waist from behind and lifted me up. He spun me around so fast my legs were like little windmills.

A few campers came out of the arena, narrowly avoiding being taken out by my legs. They laughed and I was sure it had something to do with the smile I knew Percy was sporting.

When he placed me on my feet and let go, I swayed unsteadily through the door. He laughed. "You look a little drunk."

"You look a little stupid."

He dropped an arm over my shoulder, apparently in a playful mood. "You know that vinyl record player you had?"

"You mean the one you broke?" I retorted. Here's a little back story on that story: Once upon a time, I had a beautiful vinyl record player that I played all my Green Day albums on. One day, Percy and I were low-key making out and things got a little steamy. Including my vinyl.

"I only claim partial responsibility. It was you who can't control your power when your mind's goo." He grinned, steering us towards my cabin. "But I bet you go to bed every night dreaming and thinking about a shiny new vinyl player."

A warm breeze blew a strand of hair across my face as the corner of my lips pulled up. "Besides dreaming about you?"

"In between dreaming about me," he corrected, maneuvering his arm to drop to my waist. "What's the first thing you'd do if you got a new one?"

I touched my bracelet, deep in thought. "I don't know. I'd probably hug it and promise it that I'd never let anything bad happen to it."

He laughed again, eyes twinkling. "Okay, other than that?"

"Thank Apollo for bestowing one upon me." I sighed then, because that would be the only way I'd get one. "I need to get a job."

"What you need to do is go to high school."

"You haven't," I pointed out.

He cast me a sidelong glance. "I've been waiting on you."

"I know." I told him, sighing. I had no idea what next week would hold for us, let alone a few months down the road.

Goode high school…and Percy had mentioned orientation coming up. The prospect of going to high school with Percy like normal teenagers was appealing. The problem was that getting my hopes up and something going terrible.

My cabin was silent and a little warm. I opened a window while Percy helped himself to the leftover milk carton he had brought me earlier this morning. When I turned around, he was running the back of his hand over his mouth, his hair a mess of dark waves and eyes a shining gold. The movement pulled his shirt taut over his biceps and chest.

I bit back a sigh. Milk did a body good.

His smile was just as wicked. Putting the carton on my desk, he moved so fast I didn't see him until he was standing in front of me, taking my cheeks in his hands.

But then he kissed me, and he tasted of milk and something richer, lush and smooth. I didn't realize he was guiding me backward and that we were pressed up against the wall until he lifted me up without breaking the kiss.

I thought the whole thing with Chris would ruin this afternoon, but I had underestimated the magnetism of Percy and his kisses. I wrapped my legs around his waist, reveling in the feel of his muscles under my hands.

He kept going and kissing and my heart was pounding. Turning, he gently led us to the bed and then my heart was doing the skipping thing, like a broken record. Nervous excitement enveloped me.

Percy lifted his head. A lopsided grin appeared on his lips and I sat down, breathing fast. I watched in a daze as he moved back and sat on the edge of my bed, his fingers slowly letting go of mine, trailing across my palm. I felt the tingles all the way up my arm.

Then he looked at my desk.

My gaze followed his and I blinked, thinking a mirage had appeared in my bedroom, because I couldn't be seeing what I was.

Resting on my desk was a red vinyl player.

"I…" I didn't know what to say. My brain emptied. Were we in the right cabin? I took in the familiar surroundings and decided that we were.

I took a step toward the desk and stopped. "Is that for me?"

A slow, beautiful smile crept across his face, filling his eyes. "No, it's for Grover. Of course it's yours, Sweetheart."

My heart stuttered. "But I don't understand."

"See, there's this place called record store and I went there, picked one out." He paused as if to make sure I was following him, and all I could do was stare. "I did take some liberties, since I prefer red."

"But why?"

He laughed softly. "Man, I wish you could see your face."

I clasped my hands over my cheeks. "Why?"

"I broke yours, at least partially and you seemed like you needed a break after the whole labyrinth fiasco so…here we are."

It hit me then that he'd been planning this all day. "When did you put it here?"

"After you left for class."

I took a deep breath. I was about five seconds from full fan-girl mode. "And you got this for me? It looks like an Oracle Delphi VI. Those things cost like an arm and a leg. Maybe a heart."

He laughed at my expression. "I save money, you know. I have a small fortune that could probably buy a really cool jet pack."

"Percy, it's too much."

"It's yours."

My gaze was drawn back to the player like it was my own personal mecca. Dreams really do come true.

I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. "I can't believe you did this."

He shrugged again. "You deserve it."

Something deep inside me snapped. I tackled Percy, and he laughed, sweeping his arms around my waist. "Thank you. Thank you," I said over and over again, in between raining quick kisses all over his face.

He tipped his head back on the comforter, laughing. "Wow. You're pretty strong when you're excited."

I sat up, grinning down at him. His face blurred a little. "I can't believe you did this."

Smugness filled his expression. "You had no idea, did you?"

"No, but that's why you kept bringing up the vinyl. How sneaky sneakers of you." I smacked his chest playfully. "You are…"

He folded his arms under his head. "I'm what?"

"Amazing." I leaned forward, kissing him. "You're amazing."

"That's what I've been saying for years."

I laughed against his mouth. "Seriously, though, you shouldn't have."

"I wanted to."

I didn't know what to say, other than scream from the top of my lungs.

He lowered his lashes. "It's okay. I know what you want to do. Go play."

"You sure?" My fingers itched to explore.

"Yes."

Squealing, I kissed him again and then rolled off, diving for my case of records. I immediately grabbed the Bullet in a Bible album by Green Day and began testing out all the different turntable settings.

An hour later, I hit the stop button to look at the time. Silena and Annabeth were coming in a few minutes. Powering down the device, I placed it back on the desk and threw my arms around him once more. "Thank you."

He pulled me down and reached up, tucking the hair behind my ear. His hand lingered. "I like it when you're happy, and if I can do something small, then I will."

"Something small?" Shock heightened my tone. "That's not something small. That had to have cost—"

"It doesn't matter. You're happy. I'm happy."

My chest swelled. "I love you. You know that, right?"

A cocky grin appeared. "I know."

I waited. Nothing. Rolling my eyes, I sat up on the other side of him and kicked off my shoes. Glancing out the window, I saw nothing but the setting sun.

"You're never going to say it, are you?"

"Say what?" The bed shifted as he sat up, placing his hands on my hips.

I looked over my shoulder. Thick lashes shielded his eyes. "You know what."

"Hmm?" He slid his hands up my sides, distracting as usual.

It might bother some girls that their boyfriends never said the four-letter word. With any other guy, it might've bothered me, too, to be honest, but with Percy, well, those words would never be easy for him to say, even though he had no problem showing it.

And I was okay with it. Didn't mean I wouldn't tease him about it, though.

He pressed a kiss to my cheek and slid off the bed. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously, I do love it. I can't thank you enough."

Now he waggled that brow. "I'm sure you can."

Before I could wag my brows suggestively, I heard a few knocks at the door and Annabeth's voice called out,

"Thalia, it's time to go! You and Percy need to take a break from sucking each other's faces!"

I burned bright red while Percy threw his head back, laughing.

"She'll be there in a moment!" Percy answered, ushering me towards the door.

"Maybe we should go shopping another time," I suggested, practically gluing myself to the son of Poseidon and Kronos. "Let's stay in and watch a movie."

Percy chuckled. "I don't think so, Sweetheart. Go out with your friends. Be normal."

His statement resonated in me and I grabbed my leather jacket. "Yeah, normal sounds good." I placed a brief kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you later, Percy."

"Have fun." He handed me the keys to his mustang.

* * *

"This is fun. Isn't this fun?" Annabeth laughed, bouncing around in the passenger seat.

Windows rolled down, we enjoyed the seasonably warm temperature. Annabeth seemed different today, too. It wasn't the casual denim shorts and white v neck she'd worn, paired with her camp necklace and strappy sandals. Her hair was pulled up in a loose ponytail and her thick hair cascaded down her back, revealing a perfectly symmetrical face that bore an easy grin—not the one I was so familiar with and missed painfully, but almost. She was lighter somehow, her shoulders less tense.

Right now, I hummed along to a rock song on the radio, speeding around cars like a Nascar driver.

Today was a turning point.

Silena grasped the back of my seat, face pale. "Uh, Thals, you do realize this is a no passing zone, right?"

I grinned in the rearview mirror. "I prefer to think of it more as a suggestion, not a rule."

"I'm pretty sure it's a rule," Silena advised.

Annabeth snorted. "Thalia thinks yield signs are a suggestion, too."

Normally I'd drive more cautiously, especially because I was still getting over my fear of driving but today wasn't the day. I threw caution to the wind today. I wanted to live life on the edge, trying to enjoy moment because I doubted the Fates even knew what I awaited me in the Labyrinth. I just wanted to get us to the shop in one piece.

And I did.

And we only narrowly avoided wiping out a family of four plus a tour bus once. Lowkey, though.

The shop was downtown, occupying an old row house. Silena's pert little nose wrinkled as her heels touched the gravel we parked on. "I know it looks less than savory from the outside, but it's really not bad. Their dresses are to die for."

Annabeth studied the old brick building, doubtful. "Are you sure?"

Sashaying past her, Silena cast a mischievous grin over her shoulder. "When it comes to clothing, I'll never steer you wrong."

Annabeth laughed as the daughter of Aphrodite spun and headed toward the back door that bore an OPEN sign written in elegant calligraphy.

"Alright let's do this." I sighed, I was more of casual girl. You could catch me in a tank, jeans, and a comfy pair of converse any day but I could get behind wearing dresses, if they weren't so much maintenance.

Finding dresses didn't take very long. Annabeth went with one with a long train, and I found a really great red dress I just knew Percy would go gaga for. Afterward, we headed to Le Parker Meirdien.

Going out to eat with my friends was nice, and Annabeth being there was like the proverbial icing on the cake.

Annabeth and I ordered practically everything on the menu. Silena went with a grilled chicken salad and something I found entirely gross. "I don't know why you drink cold coffee. You can just get regular coffee and let it grow cold."

"So not the same," Silena answered as the waitress put our sodas down. "Lay down some facts, Annabeth."

The blonde peered up from ridiculously long eyelashes. "According to a poll administered by the New York Times, chilled coffee is considered more sophisticated. Seventy-one percent of Americans who drink chilled coffee prefer the coffee to be already cold then poured on ice so that the ice doesn't water it down too quickly. "

I made a face. "I'll be uncivilized with my warm coffee."

"Yeah, you will."

Sticking my tongue at the daughter of Aphrodite, I smothered a giggle when Annabeth elbowed me. "I still think I should've gotten the transparent wings for my dress."

I smiled. "They were cute."

Silena tugged her curls out of her face. "You guys are lucky you found dresses on such short notice."

Since her and Beckendorf had made plans to go long ago, she had gotten her dress from some some high end shop in upstate New York. She had gone mostly along for the ride.

As conversation picked up and Annabeth started talking about her dress, I sat back against the booth. Sadness trickled through me, followed by bittersweet memories. I thought back to last November, when Annabeth, Bianca, and I had gone dress shopping for a winter formal. Things has changed since then. Bianca was no longer with us and Annabeth and I were used to be close, practically sisters. Now, we working on our friendship and I wanted to make that a priority.

Some days I'd felt nothing but frustration over the loss we'd suffered, but today, I let it slip off my shoulders with a deep breath. What happened to Bianca couldn't tarnish her memory forever.

"So, are you going to the prom with anyone?" Silena asked, ignoring me as she waved her grilled cheese sandwich at Annabeth. "Or are you going solo?"

Annabeth shrugged one shoulder. "I wasn't going to go, you know, because of… Lee, but it's my last year, so… I wanted to go." There was a pause as she pushed her chicken tender around her basket. "I'm going with Will."

I almost choked on my bun. Silena gaped. We stared at her.

Her brows rose. "What?"

"You're not…like, going out with Will, are you?" Silena's cheeks flamed. "I mean, if you are, cool and what not."

Annabeth laughed. "No—gods, no. That would be way too weird for the both of us. He was Lee's favorite brother and we're just friends."

"Wow...that's great." I offered, slightly confused. Thank gods, because even though I didn't want to judge, Annabeth hooking up with Lee's half brother would be way too weird.

She got my message and that conversation was thankfully dropped and Annabeth started talking about some book she was reading and that's when I called for the check. There was no way I was sitting through one of her nerd book reviews.

In the car ride back, Silena turned to me. "So, are you and Percy getting a hotel room or anything?"

"Uh, no. Do people really do that?"

Silena leaned back and laughed. "Yes. Beckendorf and I are getting one at Syracuse."

"Anyway," Silena drawled. "You and Percy haven't done it yet, right? Prom—"

"Hey!" Annabeth shrieked, startling us. "I'm sitting here, remember? Percy's like a brother to me, I don't want to hear about this."

Oblivious to her statement, Silena stared and waited. There was no way I was answering that question. If I told the truth and said yes, I'd scar Annabeth for life and if I lied, Silena wouldn't stop pestering me about it.

Finally Silena dropped it, but it was all I thought about thanks to her. I sighed, staring out the window. Pushing the whole subject out of my mind by the time we got back to camp. We dropped her off at the Aphrodite cabin and Annabeth and I walked in silence to her cabin.

Annabeth started toward her cabin while I stood there like an idiot, unsure of what to say. But she stopped and then turned around. Her lashes were lowered as she fidgeted with the edges of her hair. "I had fun today. I'm glad I came."

"Me, too."

She shifted her weight. "Percy's going to love that dress."

"You think?" I lifted up the garment bag.

"It is red." She smiled, taking a step back. "Maybe before prom we can get together and get ready…like we did at the Winter Formal?"

"I'd love that." My smile spread so fast I bet I looked a little crazy.

She nodded, and I wanted to run up and hug her, but I wasn't sure if we were there yet. With a little wave, she spun around and headed up her porch. For a moment, I stood there with my dress and let out a happy sigh.

This was progress. Maybe things would never be like they were, but this was really good.

Heading inside my cabin, I hugged my dress bag close and kicked the door shut. I hung my dress on my closet door, content with the events of today.

* * *

On the afternoon before prom, Annabeth stood in my cabin, twisting my hair around a medium-barrel curling iron. While the conversation started off a bit awkward, it eased up about halfway through the styling process. The conversation was light and easy by the time she'd pinned my hair up in an intricate design that showed off all her hard work.

I was applying my own eye makeup when she sat on the edge of my bed, her hands clasped in her lap. She'd gone with a simple twist—a ponytail with her hair wrapped around it in a thick bun, a classic look that showed off her angular face perfectly.

Rubbing my pinkie under my eye, I blended the brown eyeliner. "Are you excited about tonight?"

She shrugged. "I just want to do it, because, I know Lee would want me to go and have fun."

I placed the eyeliner in my bag and rooted around for my mascara. "He would," I said, glancing at the demigod. "He seemed like the kind of guy who would want the best for you, no matter what it meant for him."

A smile flickered and faded. "He was."

With a sense of sadness, I turned back to the mirror and my gaze dropped to the golden tube. She should be with Lee tonight. "Annabeth, I'm—"

"I know." Her voice was genuine, honest. "I know you're sorry. I know you never intended for Lee to die."

I turned toward her, twisting the sea shell on my necklace between my fingers. "I would change everything if I could."

Then I asked something that had been on my mind since yesterday. When we were at Le Parker Meirdien yesterday, Annabeth mentioned something about this being her last year. Camp Half Blood didn't have a policy on how demigods could stay at camp but if you were around twenty or so and could survive in the mortal world by yourself, you were expected to leave. Annabeth was only sixteen and even though she could stay with her mortal father, San Francisco was the base of the titans' headquarters, she wouldn't survive by herself. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

A pause. A deep breath. "Yes, I am."

"All year long?" I asked. "By yourself?"

Annabeth shook her head, sighing. She bent down, holding my gaze in those heather gray eyes. "Back on Mount Tam, when Zoe was injured, Artemis and I ran over to help her. Zoe was telling me that I should've joined the hunt years ago, back when you, Luke, and me were on the run. That first time around, the offer was tempting but I didn't want to leave you and Luke so I declined." Annabeth's voice started to tremble slightly. "And then Zoe was with this offer again but again, I refused because I was dating Lee. But now, I think this is the right move for me. The hunt will come by to pick me up after we rescue Paul and we get this whole Labyrinth thing behind us. Then I'll leave with them. Forever."

It took me a while to register what she was telling me. I felt a mix of emotions but the most prominent was happiness. I was happy for her, that she finally was ready to move forward in her life and I knew she was going to thrive in the hunt.

"I'm going to miss you nerd." I threw my arms around the girl, a slight tear escaping from my tear ducts. "Promise me you'll check in every so often."

"Of course." The blonde croaked, offering a watery smile. "You can always IM me, any time. I promise to answer."

"Same here, Wisegirl." I tore away from my friend, wiping away that stray tear. "You're going to be a great hunter."

"Thanks, Thalia." Her gaze flickered away from me, settling over my shoulder. "Are you scared about tomorrow"

Facing the mirror once more, I blinked back tears. So, stop being a wussy, I ordered myself. That's a lot of makeup to waste.

"Thalia?"

"I'm scared," I admitted with a little laugh. "Who wouldn't be? But we'll find Paul, Luke will get his stupid robot, and everything will go back to normal."

"We'll all be fine." She assured me, unwrapping my prom dress. "Let's just look out for each other. Okay?"

My heart tripped and I didn't hesitate. "Okay."

Switching places, she finished with her makeup, and I slipped on my dress. An hour later, Will entered my cabin and whisked her away but I was only alone for a few seconds before I felt the back of my neck get warm.

But when Percy stepped through the door and I stood in the center, fiddling with a small clutch Silena had given me, I was struck speechless.

Percy could look good in just about anything—jeans, sweats, a lumberjack outfit—but in a black tux tailored to his broad shoulders and form, he was absolutely amazing.

Dark waves fell across his forehead, swept to the right. He held a pretty corsage in one hand. As he straightened his bowtie, his gaze started at the tips of my shoes and made the slow perusal up, lingering in a few spots he probably thought I didn't notice. His fingers stilled around the tie, and I flushed, feeling the intensity in his gaze and his approval.

Percy did like the color red.

My cheeks had to match my dress by then.

He walked up to me with that rock-star swagger and stopped a foot before me, bent his head, and whispered, "You look beautiful."

A deep flutter started in my stomach and spread. "Thank you. You look alright."

Percy chuckled, taking the corsage out and tying it to my wrist. The corsage was a simple rose in full bloom surrounded by green leaves and baby's breath. Beautiful. This reminded me of the Winter formal, but Logan Lerman had been my date. I wanted laugh, remembering the feud between Percy and I at the time. Things had changed so much since then.

Percy placed his hand on my lower back. "Where are you at?"

I blinked, drawn back into the present. "I'm here, right with you."

"I hope so."

Percy's mom showed up, eyes watery. She had a camera in hand and her finger was shooting a million pictures at a time. "Sorry," the mortal said, positioning Percy and I for the hundredth time. "I'm afraid I've got a lot of catching up to do with Percy. My photo album is practically empty."

"Mom, you're going to overfill it if you take any more pictures." Percy grinned lopsidely.

"Oh, I know," The mortal smiled, pulling her son into a hug. "Baby, you look so beautiful—you two look so beautiful together."

Percy hugged her back, grinning at me over her shoulder.

"I just can't believe this is it. Your senior prom," she said, sniffling as she backed up, facing the both of us. "Well, sort of. Okay, you two should be on your way. Percy, don't forget your manners on the dance floor and Thalia, sweetheart," She stopped mid sentence and gave me a hug. "You do look beautiful, dear. I mean it."

"Thank you." I squeezed her back.

She held on like she was never going to let go and when she did let go, I headed out, waiting on the porch. I managed to catch a bit of the Jacksons' conversation while I waited for the son of Kronos and Poseidon.

"I'm happy for you," she whispered to her son. "She's a great girl."

Percy must've nodded. "I know."

"Good." She patted his back, shooing him away. "Curfew?" She reminded us.

"I—" I thought that Chiron lifted the curfew for tonight.

"I'm just messing with you two." She smiled. "Just behave and don't do anything you'll regret in the morning." Her gaze drifted over Percy's shoulder towards me, and she muttered, "Wouldn't be much."

"Mom!"

Laughing, she gave him a light shove. "I'm old, not dead. Now get going and have fun."

Percy rubbed the back of his head nervously. "You didn't hear that last part, right?"

I grinned mischievously.

"Oh, gods…"

Tipping my head back, I laughed as I took his hand. "Come on, let's go."

The dance was held in the arena since it was the largest space we had. Halfway there, Percy sent me a sideways glance. "You really do look beautiful, Sweetheart. I mean it."

I smiled, running my fingers over the beads on my clutch. "Thank you."

There was a pause. "I thought you looked beautiful the night of the Winter formal, too."

My head snapped toward him, clutch forgotten. "Really?"

"Hells yeah. I hated that you were with someone else." He laughed at my expression and then slowed his pace. The easy grin tugged at my heart. "When I saw you with Logan? I wanted to beat the ever-loving crap out of him and snatch you away."

I laughed. Sometimes I forgot that during those tumultuous first months of knowing each other, a teeny tiny part of him may have liked me.

"So, yeah, I thought you were beautiful then."

I bit my lip and then hoped I hadn't smeared my lip gloss. "I always thought you were…" Beautiful wasn't exactly a manly descriptor, so I went with, "Very attractive."

"What you mean is that you always thought I was incredibly hot and you couldn't take your eyes off me."

"We really need to work on your modesty." Demigods began pouring out of the cabin, some in couples, some as groups of friends. "But gods, did you ever tick me off."

"It's a part of my charm."

I snorted. "Sure it is."

Percy slid an arm around my waist as we strolled up to the school. The air was warm with just a hint of coolness. The nights were still pretty cold here in late January, but I didn't need a shawl or anything, not with Percy beside me. He always blew off an incredible amount of heat.

The arena didn't even look like an arena. All the weaponry and equipment was tucked away and the decorations were all out for prom, white lights had been strung along the ceiling and down the wall, forming a dazzling waterfall effect. Large, leafy potted plants had been brought in, surrounding the white-linen-covered tables sitting at the edge of the matted dance floor.

Music was loud, and I could barely hear what Percy was saying to me as he tugged me forward. Silena appeared out of nowhere, taking my hand and pulling me toward the floor. She looked awesome in a deep blue trumpet dress that flattered her hourglass curves. Out on the floor other girls surrounded us. Laughter mingled with the beat and I thought of the club outside of Brooklyn and the cages. Totally different worlds.

Percy reappeared, stealing me away from the girls. It was a slow dance and his arm fit perfectly around my waist. I rested my cheek on his shoulder, glad that he and Silena had convinced me into doing the prom thing. Getting out and doing this felt great, like a seven-ton weight was lifted from my shoulders.

Percy hummed along with the song, his chin brushing my cheek every so often. I liked the way his chest thrummed against mine, reminding me of the natural way his body felt.

Toward the end of the song, I opened my eyes and they locked with Luke's.

I sucked in a sharp breath. Hadn't expected him to be here, so seeing Luke caused quite a bit of shock to shoot through me. Was he with someone? No girl was near him, but that didn't mean anything. Something about the way he stood there watching us was above the acceptable creep factor for my taste.

A couple moved in, laughing as the boy pawed at her hips. When they passed on, Luke was gone, but a weird, icky feeling had popped up in my stomach and I started to wonder whether I'd actually seen him.

I lifted my head. "Do you think Grover and Tyson are alright?"

Percy shrugged, concern flickering across his features. "I have no idea. I tried IM-ing them but the connection dropped. Must be because they're underground."

"We'll find them when we go back in." I whispered, sure of it.

"Yeah, we will." Percy's arm tightened and the tux pulled taut across his shoulders.

After the slow dance, Will and Annabeth joined us. She looked as divine as I thought she would in her dress and fresh, clean look. I noted that the two kept a discreet distance between each other. To me, it was clear they were just friends—more only because they shared something they lost.

"Are you having fun?" he murmured once the other couple had gone off to greet another group.

Nodding, I stretched up and kissed him. It was an innocent one—or maybe it was on my end, but Percy totally took it there. When we parted, I was breathless.

Leaving the group behind, we danced again, so closely that I kept waiting for Chiron or Mr. D to come around and break us apart. Several times I danced with Silena and even Clarisse joined in once. We all looked ridiculous, flailing around and having fun.

By the time I was back in Percy's arms, we'd been at the prom for about two hours. Some of the kids were already leaving, heading out to prom after parties in the cabins.

"You ready to leave yet?" he said.

"Do you have something planned?" Oh gosh, did my mind go wild then.

"I do." He smiled mischievously. "I have a surprise."

And my mind went far, far south at that point. Percy and the word surprise in the same sentence usually was an entertaining adventure.

"All right," I said, hoping I sounded adult and cool while my heart was doing the stupid happy-girl dance.

Finding Silena, I told her we were leaving and gave her a hug. "Did you guys get a hotel room?" she asked, eyes glittering in the white lights.

I slapped her arm. "No! Well…I don't think so. He says he has a surprise for me."

"Totally the hotel room," she yelled. "Oh my gods, you guys are going to have, you know, the three-letter word."

I smiled.

Silena's eyes narrowed and then flew open. "Wait. Did you guys—"

I shot her a look of confirmation. "I've got to go." I started to pull away, but she followed.

"Wait, when? You have to tell me! I need to know." Behind her, Beckendorf watched on curiously.

Getting away, I shook my head. "I really need to go. I'll talk to you later. Have fun."

"Oh, we'd better talk later. I demand it."

Promising to tell her after I returned from the quest, I then looked for Annabeth, scanning the floor for the willowy blonde-haired girl.

I gave up when I saw Percy again. "Have you seen Annabeth?"

He nodded. "I think she left with Will. They decided to go into town to get something and eat."

"Oh, okay." I shifted my weight to my right foot. "Annabeth is joining the hunt." I blurted out.

"I know." His eyes were somewhat conflicted, as if he just got his best friend back and was losing her again. He extended his hand, signaling a change in subject.

Taking his offered hand, we headed back out of the steamy arena and outside. The temps had dropped outside, but the cold air felt good against my flushed skin.

"Are you going to tell me about the surprise?"

"If I did, then it won't be a surprise," he replied.

I pouted. "But it's a surprise now."

"Nice try." He laughed, opening the door for me. "Watch your step and behave yourself."

"Whatever." I watched as he pulled out a flashlight, directing us toward the woods.

Casting me a glance, he shook his head. "You're dying to know, aren't you?"

"Yes. You should tell me."

He said nothing and remained quiet as we ventured further into the woods, much to my surprise. Nervous excitement built inside me. I had no idea what he had planned. That was, until I saw that we were heading to the main trial and when we stopped there, I was taken back several months to the first time Percy had taken me swimming.

Don't get it twisted though, it wasn't a date. Douche-version of Percy had been blackmailed and it was a...unique experince.

Crossing the trail, I got a general idea of where we were heading. The lake. Squeezing Percy's hand, I fought back a stupid grin.

"Do you think you can walk in those heels?" he asked, frowning as if he'd just thought of it.

Doubtful, but I didn't want to ruin any of this for him. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

He took it slowly anyway, making sure I didn't fall flat on my face or break my neck. Incredibly sweet, actually, as he made sure to get all the low-hanging branches out of the way and at one point, he even lifted me up to get over a log.

It took a little longer than normal to get to the lake, but I enjoyed the walk and his company. And when we stepped out of the last stand of trees and the scene before me unfolded, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Moonlight reflected off the calm waters and several feet away from the bank, next to the white wildflowers that had started to bloom, were several blankets spread out and piled atop one another, creating a comfy-looking sitting area. There were a few pillows and a large cooler. A fire crackled closer to the lake, surrounded by large stones.

There were no words.

The whole setup was exceptionally romantic, sweet, awesome, and so, so perfect that I wondered if I were dreaming. I knew Percy was capable of surprising me—he always did, but this…? My heart swelled so quickly I was sure I would float away.

"Surprise," he said, stepping ahead, his back to the fire. "I thought this would be better than a party or whatever. And you like the lake. So do I."

I blinked back tears. Gods, I needed to stop crying all the time, especially tonight, because I had loaded my lashes with mascara. "It's perfect, Percy. Oh my gods, it's wonderful."

"Really?" A bit of vulnerability crept into his voice. "You really like it?"

I couldn't believe he had to ask. "I love it." And then I started to laugh, which was better than crying. "I really love this."

Percy smiled.

I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms and legs around him like a demented monkey-girl.

Laughing, he caught me and didn't stumble. "You really love it," he said, walking backward. "I'm glad."

So many emotions were running through me that I couldn't settle on one thing, but they were all good. When he put me down, I kicked off my shoes and moved to the blankets. They were soft under my toes, luxurious.

Sitting down, I tucked my legs under me. "What's in the cooler?"

"Ah, the good stuff." He flashed out and appeared beside the cooler, kneeling down. He cracked it open, pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Wine cooler—strawberry. Your favorite flavor."

I laughed. "Oh my gods."

He popped the cork and poured each of us a glass. I took it and sipped the fizzy liquid. It had a hint of alcohol and half of me was terrified that Mr. D would come snatch it away from me like the mad man he was.

"What else?" I asked, leaning over.

Out came a canister and he carefully peeled the lid off and tilted it toward me. Chocolate-covered strawberries rolled temptingly.

My mouth watered. "Did you make them?"

"Ha. No."

"Uh…did Sally make them?"

That got a laugh. "I ordered them from the candy shop in town. Try one?"

I did and I think my mouth died and went to heaven. I may've even drooled on myself. "That's amazing."

"There's more." He pulled out a plastic container full of sliced cheese and crackers. "Also pre-made from the store, because I am not a cook or whatever."

Who cared how he got the stuff? He did this—this was all him.

There were also cucumber sandwiches and a veggie pizza. Perfect munchie food, and we dug in, laughing and eating while the fire slowly died off.

"When did you do all of this?" I asked, reaching for my fifth or so slice of veggie pizza.

He picked up a strawberry, inspecting it with narrowed eyes. "I had the stuff in the cooler down here and the blankets wrapped in canvas. All I did before I picked you up was spread the stuff out, and Juniper made sure the fire was still going while we were at the dance."

I finished off my slice. "You're amazing."

"I know it didn't take you this long to realize that."

"No. I've always known it." I watched him root around for another strawberry. "Maybe not in the beginning…"

He peeked up. "My awesomeness is all about the stealth."

"Is it?" The temp had dropped and I huddled closer to Percy and the dying fire, shivering but not anywhere near ready to head back.

"Uh-huh." He grinned, closing the bowl and placing the rest of the food back in the cooler. Tossing me a soda, he cleaned everything up. We'd moved on past the wine coolers a while ago. "I can't show all my dynamic sides at once."

"Of course not. Where's the mystery in that?"

He picked up a throw blanket. "There is none." Draping it over my shoulders, he then settled back down next to me.

"Thank you." I pulled the soft material close. "I think the general public would be shocked to know how deep your sweetness runs."

Percy stretched out, resting on his side. "They can never know."

Grinning, I leaned forward and kissed his lips. "I'll take the secret to my grave."

"Good." He patted the spot next to him. "We can go back whenever you want."

"I don't want to leave."

"Then get your cute little half blood butt over here."

Scooting over the remaining space, I laid down beside him. Percy moved a pillow down so that it was under my head. Snuggled close to him, it would take an army of monsters to split us apart.

We talked about the dance, the quest, and even about possibly attending Goode High. We talked well beyond midnight.

"Are you worried about tomorrow at all?" I asked, running the tips of my fingers along the curve of his jaw.

"I'm worried—I'd be insane not to be." He kissed my finger when it drifted too close to his lips. "But not about what you think."

"What, then?" My hand drifted down his neck, over his shirt. He'd taken off the jacket a while ago. His skin was warm and hard underneath the thin material.

Percy shifted closer. "I worry that Paul won't be like Sally remembered."

"Me, too." I answered, remembering how Sally was when she returned.

"I know she can handle it, though." He joined in, his hand sliding under the blanket, curving on my bare shoulder. "I just want the best for her. She deserves it."

"She does." I held my breath as his hand traveled south, over the dip in my waist then the flare of my hip. "I hope she's okay—that everyone is okay, even Quintus."

He nodded and gently eased me onto my back. His hand smoothed over the skirt of my dress to my knee. I shivered. He smiled. "Something else is bothering you."

When I thought about tomorrow and what the future might hold, a lot of things were bothering me. "I don't want anything to happen to you." My voice broke. "I don't want anything to happen to anyone."

"Shh." He kissed me gently. "Nothing will happen to me or anyone else."

I balled my hands around his shirt, holding him, as if I could somehow stop the worst-case scenario from coming to fruition just by keeping him close. Silly, I knew, but holding him there kept the most horrific of fears at bay.

That I would walk out of the Labyrinth, but Percy wouldn't.

"What happens if we do succeed tomorrow night?"

"You mean when we do?" His leg brushed over mine, settling in between. "We go back to camp on Monday—boring, I know. Then we go to Goode's orientation. And then we have all summer…"

His weight did wicked things to my thoughts, but panic loomed too close. "Luke will be back on Kronos side and they'll come after us. And Kronos will have a body this time. Then there's the whole thing with Quintus and the great prophecy..."

"Everything will be fine, Thalia." His lips pressed against my temple and then the curve of my brow.

My stomach churned. "Percy…"

"It'll be okay. Don't worry."

I wanted to believe. More like I needed to.

"Let's not think about tomorrow," he whispered, his lips grazing my cheek and then my jaw. "Let's not think about next week or the next night. It's just us right now and nothing else."

Heart racing, I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. It seemed impossible to forget all that was coming, but in this moment, it really was only us and nothing else.

* * *

 **A/N-Ok so I actually have one more scene to add to this chapter and I literally can't bring myself to write it so it will be tacked onto next chapter. I've got a schedule planned and I will return to this story more regularly but for now, I will attempt to get a chapter out next saturday. No promises though.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N-Look who updated!**

* * *

 **I met Percy, Sally, Luke, and Annabeth at Zeus' fist early Sunday morning, ready to rescue Paul and get this whole temporary alliance with Luke over.**

"Ready for this, Sweetheart?" Percy greeted, offering to take my duffel bag.

I placed the strap into his hand and watched as he slung it over his shoulder. "As long as this is the last time we go in this hellhole, I'm as ready as ever I'll ever be."

"Same here." He looked lighter today, like he truly believed everything would turn out alright. Judging by how good things were going right now, I didn't blame him. This would be a quick, get in and get out. No huss. No fuss.

"Let's go." I took his hand, leading him towards the entrance to the Labyrinth.

* * *

I'd almost forgotten how annoying Luke was until we had been in the labyrinth for about an hour.

"Tik tok, Sally. We should be near the workshop now." The son of Hermes huffed, rushing the mortal guide.

"Well, I'm not looking for the workshop. Besides, we're almost there. Not too long now." Sally threw back, her voice echoing off the walls. We were in the same formation as when there were seven of us, Sally at the front because she was the guide, Annabeth beside her, and Luke was in front of me and Percy who were, once again, brandishing our swords to reflect light for the group.

"I can't wait till we can go back to being enemies again." Percy's voice was thick with venom.

"Trust me, I'm looking forward to it too." Luke replied, raising his middle finger.

Percy threw me a look, maneuvering his sword in such a way that it looked like he was taking a swipe at Luke's raised finger. I grinned, shoving the demigod's shoulder playfully as he chuckled, taking a step back. As he did so, a tunnel appeared to the left of Sally and consequently, the entire group halted in their tracks.

I stared down the tunnel, angling my weapon so that I could see but it was dark. "Are we supposed to go in here, Sally?"

"No, not at all." The mortal answered, the blood draining from her face as she stepped back. "We should avoid this tunnel...something dark is down there."

No one was going to argue with her so we headed toward the right tunnel but just as we were about to enter, a wall appeared.

Annabeth sighed, unsheathing her knife. "Well, I think the Labyrinth is giving us no choice."

If possible, Sally became even more pale. "We'll have to wait for the tunnel pop up again because we can't go in there."

I glanced at Percy and he looked back, shrugging.

"I'll go check it out." I whispered to him, turning around.

Percy caught my wrist and pulled me aside while the rest of the group sat down, waiting for the tunnel to reappear.

"If you're going to tell me to stay or whatever over protective reason you have now-"

Percy shook his head, chuckling slightly. "I just wanted to say good luck and be careful."

It took me a second to digest his words. He was just going to let me go? No questions asked? "Is this a trick or something? Where'd the real Percy go?"

"Haha, very funny." Percy's grin was light hearted and the gold in his eyes gleamed. "It took me a while to figure it but you were right, Thalia. You've always been right-you and I, we're a partnership. And I need to let you protect yourself sometimes because I won't always be there to do it."

My eyes widened and my breath seemed to stall in my chest. "W-what are trying to say? Is something going to happen to you? Because Percy...I can't." A shudder retired through me and my next words were shaky. "I _can't_ lose you."

"And you won't." He said immediately, clutching both of my hands. "I didn't mean anything...harmful by that. I just meant you might be fighting some monster over there and I could be elsewhere, doing the same thing. Thalia, the both of us are going to make out it out of here together. Okay?"

My heart rate had gone back down to normal but I was trying to decipher whether he was giving me false hope. Did he really believe that he wouldn't make it out of the labyrinth? Was he trying to tell me something-maybe that when this quest reached its end, he wouldn't be around? I had so many questions but knowing Percy, he wasn't going to divulge such information. He just admitted that we were a partnership but there were still some things he wanted to keep to himself. I shook my head, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. "I'll be back before you know it."

Percy nodded, releasing me a moment later. "Okay, see you then."

As I turned away from him and went down the tunnel, I couldn't help but feel chills running down my spine. Could that have been the last time I ever saw him? Or even worse, could it be the last time I ever saw him-or anyone, for that matter. The prophecy still predicted that I would be fated to fate worse than death but what could be worse than death itself?

Shaking off my fear, I ventured further into the tunnel, willing myself to focus.

Before I even got to the exit I heard voices: the growling, barking sounds of sea-demon smiths, the telekhines.

"At least we salvaged the blade," one said. "The master will still reward us."

"Yes! Yes!" a second shrieked. "Rewards beyond measure!"

Another voice, this one more human, said: "Um, yeah, well that's great. Now, if you're done with me—"

"No, half-blood!" a telekhine said. "You must help us make the presentation. It is a great honor!"

"Gee, thanks," the half-blood said sarcastically.

Passing them, I crept toward the end of the tunnel. A blast of cold air hit me as I emerged. I was standing near the top of Mount Tam. The Pacific Ocean spread out below, gray under a cloudy sky.

About twenty feet downhill, two telekhines were placing something on a big rock—something long and thin and wrapped in a black cloth. The half blood was helping them open it.

"Careful, Ethan," the telekhine scolded. "One touch, and the blade will sever your soul from your body."

The half blood-Ethan-swallowed nervously. "Maybe I'll let you unwrap it, then." I glanced up at the mountain's peak, where a black marble fortress loomed, its prescence was dauting, as if it leeched pure darkness from the earth. Everything below the summit seemed fuzzy to me, as if there were a thick veil between me and the lower half of the mountain. There was magic going on here—really powerful Mist.

Above me, the sky swirled into a huge funnel cloud. I couldn't see Atlas, but I could hear him groaning in the distance, still laboring under the weight of the sky, just beyond the fortress.

"There!" the telekhine said. Reverently, he lifted the weapon, and my blood turned to ice.

It was a scythe—a six foot-long blade curved like a crescent moon, with a wooden handle wrapped in leather. The blade glinted two different colors—steel and bronze. It was the weapon of Kronos, the one he'd used to slice up his father, Ouranos, before the gods had taken it away from him and cut Kronos to pieces, casting him into Tartarus. Now the weapon was re-forged.

"We must sanctify it in blood," the telekhine said. "Then you, half-blood, shal help present it when the lord awakes."

I ran toward the fortress, my pulse pounding in my ears. I didn't want to get anywhere close to that horrible black mausoleum, but I knew what I had to do. I had to stop Kronos from rising. This might be my only chance.

I dashed through a dark foyer and into the main hall. The floor shined like a mahogany piano—pure black and yet full of light. Black marble statues lined the walls. I didn't recognize the faces, but I knew I was looking at images of the Titans who'd ruled before the gods. At the end of the room, between two bronze braziers, was a dais. And on the dais, the golden sarcophagus.

The room was silent except for the crackle of the fires.

No guards. Nothing.

It was too easy, but I approached the dais.

The sarcophagus was about ten feet long, much too big for a human. It was carved with elaborate scenes of death and destruction, pictures of the gods being trodden under chariots, temples and famous world landmarks being smashed and burned. The whole coffin gave off an aura of extreme cold, like I was walking into a freezer. My breath began to steam.

I drew my spear and too little a comfort from the familiar weight of the sword in my hand.

What would I find if I opened that lid? How could they make a new body for him, especially since Luke was with us? And Percy, for that matter.

I had no answers. I just knew that if he was about to rise, I had to strike him down before he got his scythe. I had to figure out a way to stop him.

I stood over the coffin. The lid was decorated even more intricately than the sides—with scenes of carnage and power. In the middle was an inscription carved in letters even older than Greek, a language of magic. I couldn't read it, exactly, but I knew what it said: KRONOS, LORD OF TIME.

My hand touched the lid. My fingertips turned blue. Frost gathered on my sword.

Then I heard noises behind me—voices approaching. It was now or never.

I pushed back the golden lid and it fell to the floor with a huge WHOOOOM!

I lifted my sword, ready to strike. But when I looked inside, it was just bits and pieces that were glowing. No body.

Suddenly, the voices of the telekhines were right behind me.

"What has happened!" one of the demons screamed when he saw the lid. I stumbled away from the dais and hid behind a column as they approached.

"Careful!" the other demon warned. "Perhaps he stirs. We must present the gifts now. Immediately!"

The two telekhines shuffled forward and knelt, holding up the scythe on its wrapping cloth. "My lord," one said. "Your symbol of power is remade." Silence. Nothing happened in the coffin.

"You fool," the other telekhine muttered. "He requires the half-blood first."

Ethan stepped back. "Whoa, what do you mean, he requires me?"

"Don't be a coward!" the first telekhine hissed. "He does not require your death. Only your allegiance. Pledge him your service. Renounce the gods. That is all."

"No!" I yelled. It was a stupid thing to do, but I charged into the room with my spear in hand. "Ethan, don't!"

"Trespasser!" The telekhines bared their seal teeth. "The master will deal with you soon enough. Hurry, boy!"

"Ethan," I pleaded, "don't listen to them. Help me destroy it." Ethan turned toward me, his eye patch blending in with the shadows on his face. His expression was something like pity.

"I don't know who you are but it's too late. I was meant to do this." He turned toward the dais. "I renounce the gods! What have they ever done for me? I will see them destroyed. I will serve Kronos." The building rumbled. A wisp of blue light rose drifted from the coffin and began to shimmer, like a cloud of pure energy. Then it descended on Ethan.

Ethan doubled over before standing up, his eye that was visible was golden. Then he looked at me, and a smile of recognition crept across his mouth.

"Don't worry, Thalia Grace. This is only temporary-this body hasn't been prepared. It is weak." His voice was like a razor blade running over my skin. His voice was another, more horrible sound—an ancient, cold sound like metal scraping against rock. "But my son's body is not. He was made to be my host." I couldn't move. I couldn't answer.

Kronos/Ethan threw back his head and laughed.

"My son, for some idiotic reason, is infatuated with you." the Titan's voice said. "His love and courage have been powerful tools in turning him against me. It is the reason why he hasn't completely succumbed to his titan side. But no matter, soon he will serve me and I will use you to do it."

The telekhines trembled, holding up the scythe.

"Over my cold, dead body." I lunged at the thing that used to be Ethan, thrusting my blade straight at his chest, but he ducked before springing up. He looked at me with amusement. Then he flicked his hand, and I flew across the room.

I slammed against a pillar. I struggled to my feet, blinking the stars out of my eyes, but Kronos had already grasped the handle of his scythe.

"Ah…much better," Kronos said then raised his scythe. "The gods destroyed me eons ago with this weapon but now it shall be used against them. And you, Thalie Grace, will be the first to feel its blade."

And that's when I tried to haul ass out of there.

But my feet felt like lead. Time slowed down around me, like the world was turning to Jell-O. His presence was so strong it could bend time itself.

"Run, little hero," he laughed. "Run!"

I glanced back and saw him approaching leisurely, swinging his scythe as if he were enjoying the feel of having it in his hands again. No weapon in the world could stop him. No amount of celestial bronze.

He was ten feet away when I almost ran head first into a mass of blonde hair.

"Woah, Thalia! You okay?" Annabeth steadied me, trying to read my expression.

"Kronos. He's risen and he's behind me." I panted, looking widly behind me. I heard footsteps approaching but hopefully, he'd gotten lost in the maze.

"Follow me," Annabeth took my hand and ran down a corridor. "We found Paul but his lower body was trapped under rubble. We followed Luke to the workshop, hoping we'd find a brace or cast for his leg. I came back to find you."

I released a breath of relief, thankful that Paul was still alive. I let the daughter of Athena lead me to a set of metal double doors.

Inscribed in the steel, at eye level, was the signature large blue Greek symbol, the Delta.

"We're here," The half blood announced. "Daedalus's workshop."

Annabeth pressed the symbol on the doors and they hissed open.

The first thing that struck me was the daylight—blazing sun coming through giant windows. Not the kind of thing you expect in the heart of a dungeon. The workshop was like an artist's studio, with thirty-foot ceilings and industrial lighting, polished stone floors, and workbenches along with windows. A spiral staircase led up to a second-story loft. Half a dozen easels displayed hand-drawn diagrams for buildings and machines that looked like Leonardo da Vinci sketches. Several laptop computers were scattered around on the tables. Glass jars of green oil—Greek fire—lined one shelf. There were inventions, too—weird metal machines I couldn't make sense of. One was a bronze chair with a bunch of electrical wires attached to it, like some kind of torture device. In another corner stood a giant metal egg about the size of a man. There was a grandfather clock that appeared to be made entirely of glass, so you could see all the gears turning. And hanging on the wall were several sets of bronze and silver wings.

Annabeth held up the wings in amazement. "These wings are amazing!" The feathers were tightly interwoven and self adhesive strips ran down the sides.

Percy came up to me and I clutched his arm, pulling him aside.

"You're hurt." He said immediately, touching an open wound on the side of my head.

I winced and he pulled back his hand, reaching into his pocket and handing me a small square of ambrosia. "What happened?"

I let the square dissolve before I gave him the entire run down on what had done down.

When I told him that Kronos had been resurrected, he cursed and turned to face the rest of the group. I hadn't noticed everyone when I first entered but the sunlight peeking through the window made everyone visible. Annabeth was oogling over some sketches; Luke was rummaging the workshop furiously, desperately looking for that automaton. And with what I had just seen, he was going to need that ASAP. Sally was in the left corner, helping a man with salt and pepper hair into a cast. The mortal looked releived but also worried because Paul wasn't looking too hot. I rushed over to them, gazing into the man's eyes. He seemed like he was trying to focus but his eyesight jerked in the different directions and his battered frame caused him to put a majority of his weight on Sally.

"We need to get him to a hospital." I concluded, glancing at Percy.

"We will, that brace should help until we get there." Percy's voice rose as he addressed the entire group. "Alright, guys, we need to get going, Kronos is out there and we need to get the hell out of the Labyrinth."

"What about Grover and Tyson?" Annabeth asked, concerned.

"I'm afraid your friends will have to wait. " Standing on the spiral staircase above us, with his weapon drawn, was our missing sword master Quintus.

"You," Annabeth said. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

Quintus smiled faintly. "Trust me, my dear. You don't want to meet him."

Quintus came down the stairs, holding his sword at his side. He was dressed in jeans and boots and his counselor's T-shirt from Camp HalfBlood, which seemed like an insult now that we knew he was a traitor. I didn't know if I could beat him in a sword fight. He was pretty good. But I figured I would have to try.

"Have you found what you were looking for, Luke?" Quintus asked the blond who seemed to be struggling to drag out the automaton that was about twice his size.

I glanced at Annabeth who was starting to look worried. Those two knew each other?

"Yes, thank you for your help, Daedalus. It was a pleasure doing business with you." My jaw dropped to the floor as the son of Hermes walked over to staircase to shake Quint-I mean, Daedalus' hand.

I started to retreat to the corner where the rest of the group were with wary looks on our face.

"Daedalus," Annabeth repeated like a broken record. "There's no way you could still be alive unless..."

I looked at the robot-like device in Luke's traitorous little hands. "He's an automaton too."

"Smart girl," The inventor noted. "I am an automaton-this is my fifth body, hence the name Quintus. I built this maze and unfortunately, many years ago I angered King Minos and his ghost has been haunting me ever since. I've been on the run in this immortal like state, if you will. Next to the Labyrinth, this my greatest accomplishment-transferring souls into automatons."

Annabeth gasped as the corner of Luke's lips pulled up. "And that's where I come in," He said, gesturing to the automaton in his right hand. "I wasn't lying when I said I need you all's help to get to the workshop. I needed this automaton so I wouldn't become Kronos' host. That much is true. Before I showed up at camp a few weeks ago, I looked for Daedalus to build me one but he was no where in sight. When I got to camp, I ran into him and we came to an agreement that he would build me one," Luke paused to make sure we-in our bewildered and betrayed state-could follow him. "But there was a problem, he couldn't just disappear just after being hired as the swordmaster. So I sought you all's help since you were looking for Paul in the Labyrinth anyway. Luckily, Daedalus managed to sneak away and here we are now."

"You traitor." Venom coated my words as I swallowed the fact that we had tricked.

Luke's lips slowly curved up at the corners.

My heart stuttered and then my stomach fell so fast I thought I'd be sick. That smile… That smile felt like a big gotcha. A surge of unbridled terror turned my skin icy cold. Luke cocked his head to the side as he stepped back. "Sorry," he said, and he truly sounded sorry. It was unbelievable. "It had to be this way."

"You rat bastard!" roared Percy, Riptide in hand. He launched forward, going after Luke in a way I knew would end in bloody violence.

Percy drew up short, snarling.

As if on cue, the doors of the workshop burst open, and Nico Di Angelo was pushed inside, his hands in chains. Then an empousa and two Laistrygonians marched in behind him, followed by the ghost of Minos. He looked almost solid now—a pale bearded king with cold eyes and tendrils of Mist coiling off his robes.

He fixed his gaze on Daedalus. "There you are, my old friend." Daedalus's jaw clenched.

He looked at Luke. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Consider this a parting gift." The traitor replied then turned to the empousa. "Kelli, kill them all. Except her." Luke pointed to me, his face a mask. "I want her to witness what is to come."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Kelli said and Luke disappeared out the door with his automaton, into the darkness that was the Labyrinth.

"This was not part of our agreement," Daedalus said.

"No indeed," Kelli said. "But we already have what we want from you, and we have other agreements to honor. Minos required something else from us, in order to turn over this fine young demigod." She ran a finger under Nico's chin. "He'll be quite useful. And all Minos asked in return was your head, old man."

Daedalus paled. "Treachery."

"Get used to it," Kelli said.

"Nico," I said. "Are you okay?"

He nodded morosely. "I—I'm sorry, Thalia. Minos told me you were in danger. He convinced me to go back into the maze."

"I was tricked," The young boy said. "He tricked all of us."

Kelli smiled creully. "We have more friends on the way. And in the meantime, I think I'll have a wonderful snack!" Her hands changed into claws. Her hair burst into flame and her legs turned to their true form—one donkey leg, one bronze.

Percy charged the she demon head on, slamming the hilt of sword into Kelli, causing her to crash against the wall. Annabeth stood in front of Sally and a now-awoken Paul to defend them. I transformed my canister into a spear and advanced forward, slamming it deep into the belly of the nearest Laistrygonian.

The monster drew up, standing there for a second and then it disappeared in a shower of gold dust.

I heard the sound of advancing footsteps and I knew the reinforcements coming would be outnumbered us. "We need to get out. Now!"

"Ditto." Percy grunted before running his sword clean through the last Laistrygonian.

Nico got pushed to the ground and struggled with his chains while the spirit of Minos wailed, "Kill the inventor! Kill him!" "To me!" Minos cried. "Spirits of the dead!" He raised his ghostly hands and the air began to hum.

"No!" Nico cried. He was on his feet now. He'd somehow managed to remove his shackles.

"You do not control me, young fool," Minos sneered. "All this time, I have been controlling you! A soul for a soul, yes. But it is not your sister who will return from the dead. It is I, as soon as I slay the inventor!" Spirits began to appear around Minos—shimmering forms that slowly multiplied, solidifying into Cretan soldiers.

"I am the son of Hades," Nico insisted.

"Be gone!" Minos laughed. "You have no power over me. I am the lord of spirits! The ghost king!"

"No." Nico drew his sword. "I am."

He stabbed his black blade into the floor, and it cleaved through the stone like butter.

"Never!" Minos's form rippled. "I will not—"

The ground rumbled. The windows cracked and shattered to pieces, letting in a blast of fresh air. A fissure opened in the stone floor of the workshop, and Minos and all his spirits were sucked into the void with a horrible wail.

"Damn." Percy commented, throughly impressed.

Just as the sound of the monster army coming became more prounouced, Daedalus pointed to the wings on the wall. "Use those and jump out the window, it's the only exit."

Annabeth immediately sprang into action and began placing the wings on Sally and Paul while the rest of us fended.

My pocket suddenly felt cold, like I was in freezer and it was then that I realized, I still had the whistle Daedalus had given me. I pulled it out, turning it over several times. My heart was beating fast and I was sure we were going all going to die when those monsters got in but all I could focus on was this stupid whistle.

"Thalia!" Daedalus almost sounded relieved. "It's a good thing you haven't used that yet, we need it now."

"What does it do?" I asked, inspecting it. Was this a trick? Was he going to betray us again?

"Just blow it when I tell you to." The inventor said. "Trust me."

"That's really pushing it for a guy who just helped an evil titan's little henchmen." I gritted my teeth, clutching my weapon.

"Percy, Thalia, Nico." Annabeth said, adjusting the straps on her wings. "There's only three left, let's go."

"Get them out first." Percy jerked his head toward the mortals. "We'll be behind you."

Annabeth tried to guide Sally toward the window but she shook her head feverishly. "No, I'm not going without you. We came together, we're leaving together."

"Mom-" Percy was interrupted by the horde of monsters breaking through the door of the workshop. "Annabeth, get them out now!"

The daughter of Athena wasted no time in practically pushing the mortals out the window, despite Sally's protests. As as they were gone, Daedalus looked at me and mouthed 'now.' I took one good look at the group of monsters comprised of more Laistrygonians, empousai, telekhines, and many more then I blew the whistle.

A sharp, deafening sound pierced the air and a black mass of fur jumped out of the shadows behind us and launched at the monsters.

On closer inspection I realized it was a hell hound. "Mrs. O'Leary." I breathed, almost jumping for joy as she viciously destroyed half of the monster in seconds.

Daedalus pushed the three of us toward the wings. "Put those on. You all are brave but this is my fight. This is my punishment from my mother, Athena. I've done so much wrong in the name of intelligence and only I can fix it."

"We're not leaving you." I yelled as the monsters managed to get past the defense that was Mrs. O'Leary. The hell hound herself was no where to be seen and I hoped she was alright.

"The hell we are," Percy threw a pair of wings at Nico and me after putting the last pair on himself. "Peace out, Daedalus."

The inventor nodded a farewell before grabbing a jar of Greek fire from a shelf and hurling it at the opposing force. As the three of us ran toward the window, I looked back before I jumped and caught a glimpse of the son of Athena charging into the army of monster. Before I got dwell on that, Nico leaped out the window like a goddamn monkey while Percy tugged on my hand.

"Don't look down." He advised.

"Trust me, I wasn't going to." My anxiety about heights began to manifest and I began to feel dizzy.

"We don't even know how to fly." Percy's voice was tinged with nervous laughter as he glanced up at Nico who was flying like a bird.

"Great time to find out," I said. And together, we jumped out the window into open sky.

I plummeted toward the valley and the red rocks below. Above me, Nico yelled to us, "Spread your arms! Keep them extended."

The small part of my brain that wasn't engulfed in panic heard him, and my arms responded. As soon as I spread them out, the wings stiffened, caught the wind, and my descent slowed. I soared downward, but at a controlled angle, like a kite in a dive.

Experimentally, I flapped my arms once. I arced into the sky, the wind whistling in my ears.

"Yeah!" I yelled. The feeling was unbelievable. After getting the hang of it, I felt like the wings were part of my body. I could soar and swoop and dive anywhere I wanted to.

"Land!" Percy yelled. "These wings won't last forever."

"How long?" Nico asked.

"I don't want to find out!" Percy responded.

We toward a valley, near a road where Annabeth, Sally, and Paul were waiting for us. As soon as Percy landed, Sally practically tackled him.

"I thought you were dead." The mortal choked out, clutching him tightly.

"Well, if you keep squeezing me this tight, I might just die." Percy said jokingly but I think he was just relieved to have finally found the mother he had spent his life looking for.

"I'm sorry, just trying to get in as many hugs as I can." The mortal pulled away, wiping away a few tears. "Making up for lost time and all."

"We have all the time in the world, Mom." Percy took Sally's hand within his, applying slight pressure before releasing them. His gold eyes were a rich color and a small smile graced his face. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I hope so." The mortal said shaking, touching her son's cheek briefly before stepping away and back to Paul who staring at us demigods like we were aliens.

"Are you alright, Mr. Blofis?" I asked, concerned.

"Paul, no need for formalities." The mortal had a kind smile, like he could actually see the good in everyone. Maybe that's what kept him alive in that hellhole of a maze. "You guys did one hell of a job back there."

I shrugged nonchantly. "It's what we do." I extended my hand out and he gave it a firm shake before drooping it. "Thalia."

"Nice to meet you, Thalia. A friend of Percy's, I assume?"

"Future wife." Sally whispered jokingly.

I laughed while Percy turned red. "Not funny, Mom."

"So when's the wedding?" Nico coughed out between laughs and when he finally quieted down, he extend his hand to Paul. "Nico."

"Nice to meet you, Nico. You've got some insane power in you, kid." The mortal complimented after shaking his hand.

"Oh that little spectacle," The son of Hades brushed it off nonchalantly. "That was child play."

"And here I thought I had a big ego." Percy grinned, teasing the kid. "But seriously, we need to get a ride back to camp. As soon as Kronos gets transferred into that automaton, he'll head straight for camp. We need to warn the camp and get them prepared."

"I saw a bus station while flying overhead," Annabeth said, breaking her silence. "I'll go take a look at the times and see if there's a route that will get us close to camp."

As she ventured down the road, I looked up at the hill where Daedalus's workshop had been, but it had vanished. No more smoke. No broken windows. Just the side of a hill.

"The workshop moved," Percy guessed. "There's no telling where."

"Is Daedalus...is he dead?"

I thought about Grover and Tyson, still down there somewhere. And Daedalus…even though he'd done some terrible things and put everybody I cared about at risk, it seemed like a pretty horrible way to die.

"No," Nico said. "He isn't dead."

"How can you be sure?" I asked.

"I know when people die. It's this feeling I get, like a buzzing in my ears."

"What about Tyson and Grover, then? They're still in there-looking for Pan."

Nico shook his head. "That's harder. They're not humans or half-bloods. They don't have mortal souls."

"There's a bus route to Long Island." Annabeth jogged back over to us, slightly out of breath. "We have to make it back to camp and warn them before Kronos and his army show up."

"You think he's already planning to wage a battle?" I asked her.

Annabeth's face looked grim as she nodded. "Yes, after thousands of years of dreaming about toppling Olympus, I doubt he'd wait another."

"If it's a fight he's looking for," Percy squared his shoulders, jaw set and there wasn't a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Then it's a fight he'll get."

It didn't take very long to reach New York by bus and we went got to the outskirts of Manhattan, we dropped Sally and Paul off at hospital. Paul's leg was starting to turn blue and we wanted to get him some medical attention before it became infected. Sally and Percy made a plan to meet up the following morning at the hospital so they figure out where to go from there-Paul had been written off as a missing but presumed dead person and they needed to come up with a story that didn't invovle a "mythical" maze and an evil titan lord.

Shortly we dropped them off, the four of us got on a bus and headed to camp. Apart from the bus driver, there weren't many passengers on board. There were two men in the frontseat speaking into their blue tooth and a small group of teenagers who seemed to be on a field trip sat in the back. Percy and I opted for middle seats while Nico and Annabeth sat in the front. I dropped into my seat, exhausting sweeping over me like waves.

I was utterly spent but wracked with nervous energy as I thought of the prospect that Kronos would make a move to invade camp. Whether it was tonight or tomorrow morning, it was happening. And it was happening soon.

As the bus stopped at a red light, I noticed Percy's hand resting on my knee as he learned forward in his seat. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he absentmindedly began tapping his fingers against my knee.

"We should get you in piano lessons." I voiced, gaining his attention.

A wry smile spread across his face as his eyes sparked back to life. The corner of his lips pulled up and down divisively, as if he trying to decide what snarky comment he would say next. He seemed to forego engaging in one of our fueld word wars and opted for a more demure approach. "ADHD, sorry."

I stifled in a laugh as I heard his response. Sometimes I forgot that Percy also inherited all aspects of being a half blood, including ADHD. I didn't see him as this god like figure but at the same time, he wasn't an ordinary half blood. As if you could call any child of an Olympian ordinary. Most of time I was too caught up in the whole Poseidon and son of Kronos thing to really notice the small things. Like him, I saw my ADHD as an annoyance even though it was embedded in us to ensure survival.

It's funny how something you typically see as annoying could become beautiful when it was within the person you loved.

"We got Paul." I told him, trying to sound optimistic. "You're going to have dream-your mom, going to high school, and I'll come over after school and hang out at your lake house."

Percy's wry smile turned into a full, beaming smile when he realized what I was getting at. "You're...you're in?"

I laughed at his confusion/happiness. "Let's just say you and your pen can sit behind me on the first day of high school."

Percy snorted before looking at me like I was some awe inspiring sight. He'd only looked at me once before-we were on Olympus last winter and I had just saved him from annihilation by the gods. Looking back at it, I should've cherished that moment-that expression because it was one of the last times I'd ever see it again.

* * *

Once we reached camp, I ran up half blood hill faster than Grover on enchilada night. Annabeth was faster than Percy and I and by the time we had gotten up Half blood hill, she'd already made it to the big house. Figuring she had gone to find Chiron, Percy and I waited by my tree for Nico who was leisurely taking his time.

Once up the hill, a cheery Nico joined us. "I forgot how good that hill is for the calfs." He flexed his left calf tendon. "I should do that my more often."

I smiled, remembering that Nico was just a kid. No more than eleven or twelve years, like I was when I got to camp. Well, technically I made it to camp but got turned into a tree...you get the gist.

"I'm sorry about Minos, Nico." I offered. "I know he was your friend and all."

The boy shrugged, waving it off. "I didn't trust him anyway." He wagged a knowing finger between Percy and me. "And you two shouldn't have trusted Luke. I told you not to trust anybody when everyone has something to lose."

"Well next time I hear a ten year old kid saying something wise, I'll make sure to take notes." Percy snorted.

"Hey! I'm eleven and a half." The son of Hades straightened his spine to seem taller.

"Cool story, bro." Percy's voice was thick with sarcasm.

I elbowed the demigod before changing the subject. "So Nico...how's finding the rebirth version of Bianca going?"

He thought about it before answering. "Eh, what the hell, might as well tell." He took a deep breath and leaned in close, like he was telling us a secret. "I found her."

Percy and I gasped but let the boy continue.

"I think you noticed her at the club on the first night you were there-the petite girl with long blonde hair. She's one of the dancers. That's the rebirth version of Bianca, her name is Bella. I found her in south Europe and usually rebirth versions of demigods are babies because you know, they're re _born_." He stressed the emphasis of born. "Also you can't really take over the body of someone who is alive but Bella is a run away and when she was out on the streets, she caught a disease and almost died but I think Bianca took advantage of this inbetween state and took her body." Nico's face then fell. "But the problem is the merge didn't take too well and Bella soul is fighting Bianca for control and so far, Bella has practically shut my sister out. This internal conflict, if you will ,is manifesting in reality and there's a ton of bruises that just show up on her body."

The boy sighed and I sympathize with his situation. "I allied myself with Minos because he said he knew a way to make a ghost become a real person-the whole soul for a soul thing- but it can only be done and he well, hijacked the spell. Now that the spell is useless now, there's no way for Bianca jump into a body and if Bianca shuts her out completely, then she's gone forever. There's no other shot at rebirth, she'd go back to being a ghost. And Bella...I've tried to explain and reason with her but she won't let Bianca take over her body which is understandable. I just...I have no idea what to do anymore."

Before I could reply, Chiron trotted over to us in his horse form, looking me dead in the eye.

"Is it true? Has Kronos risen?" He asked me.

"Yes, I saw it myself and now that Luke's got the automaton, if Kronos transfered himself into it, he'd be even harder to taken down."

Annabeth trailed behind the centaur and when she caught up, she added, "Maybe if Kronos decided to transfer himself now, it'll take a while and that should buy us some time to draw a defensive plan and get ready for the battle."

Chiron nodded but seemed doubtful. "I've directed the medics to set out tents and supplies should he attack tonight. We want little to no casualties as possible. I've set up a group to keep watch by Zeus' fist should the Labyrinth be Kronos' entrance to attack. Mr. D has gone to report to the gods about Kronos' rising and Daedalus. I fear that this battle...won't end well." His grim tone was chilling but I couldn't help but feel that he looked specifically at Percy as he said that last line.

If Percy noticed the look, he didn't say so. "I'll help out the group on watch."

"Me too." Annabeth, Nico, and I said simultaneously.

"Very well then." Our mentor looked at us approvingly. "I've left the conch with Clarisse who is the lead of the watch group, have her blow it should Kronos and his army come through; all the campers will know that battle has begun." And with that, he trotted back into camp.

Nico, Annabeth, Percy and I made our way past the campers who were sleeping soundly in the cabins and to Zeus' fist. As Chiron mentioned, Clarisse was there, one hand clutching her electric spear, the other held onto the conch. She nodded to us as a greeting and I wanted to kick myself for not asking how she was doing after the whole Chris fiasco. I wasn't over it all but I wanted to focus on the more pressing matters before taking account all that had occurred. Michael Yew, the Stolls, and Katie Gardner were also present.

The eight of us sat in silence and in darkness, the only source of light was the reflection of our weapons and a torch Katie had lit an hour earlier. We waited for one...two...three hours and nothing happened. No burst of monsters, Kronos, or Luke.

Then, at midnight, the Labyrinth entrance shook once and out came the most horrible horde of monsters I had ever seen. It was as if all the monsters I had ever encountered had gathered together and multiplied. Hell hounds, dracanae, empousai, laistrygonians, telekhines, cyclops, and even Kampe had come out of the Labyrinth. Clarisse blew on the conch like her life depended on it-and in some way, it did-and as campers came pouring out of their cabins, my blood froze solid as I zeroed on who was in the front of the monster army, leading the attack.

Luke.

It was his body but his eyes were devoid of any emotion, a dull gold had replaced the blue. The dim moonlight lit up his features and the scar etched onto his face made him look like the embodiment of pure evil. But this wasn't Luke.

Something had gone wrong. Maybe Kronos decided he didn't want to be in the automaton or he wanted to punish Luke for working with us. Either way, the titan of Time had taken over Luke's body.

And in that moment, Percy summoned all of my confused thoughts into one sentence.

"Well, we're fucked."

* * *

 **A/N-If you guys think I've forgotten about this story, I haven't. I'm not particularly busy these days but I'm not sure why I haven't been writing. Not a writer's block-I have an outline for this entire story so I know what I'm doing. I don't know, I think it's the act of writing it down I guess. Oopsies. Anyway, we have 2 chapters left in this story and next chapter, you may or may not hate me. Probably will hate me but I'm okay with that haha. I've got an exciting announcement that I will reveal next chapter (it's not exciting for you but it is for me so ya) but trust me, there will be updates, I plan to finish this story by the end of October preferably so I may have to update twice next week, we'll see. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, leave a review and I'll get back to you on that ASAP. See you next chappie!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N-Sorry for the sparse updates-all will be explained soon. In the meantime, happy reading!**

* * *

 **As soon as I saw the hordes of monsters pouring out of the labyrinth, I went into straight into battle mode.** "Half of the Ares cabin, stay on offense-protect the right flank! The other half, defend the left flank!"

With a nod of approval from Clarisse, the Ares cabin went into their formation. The rest of the demigods were either pouring out of their cabins or getting armored. Either way, this unpreparedness mixed with the chaos from the attacking force wasn't good.

Percy seemed to be on the same wavelength. "We're going to get slaughtered if we don't attack now."

"Same." Annabeth made her way over to us as Clarisse took a group of demigods forward to attack. Clarisse's group combined with the Ares cabin was a good defense, but they wouldn't last very long if we didn't back them up.

"We should arrange a second wave." I suggested as Nico came around.

"No bueno, chica." He pointed to the Labyrinth's entrance where monsters were pouring by the tons. They looked even bigger and meaner than the first wave. "We're already outnumbered and we can't keep on defense forever. Monsters-most of them, at least-are dumb and can be easily killed but if there's too many..."

Nico trailed off and my blood boiled as I thought of the only home I'd ever known being overrun by Kronos and his army. I couldn't give him the satisfaction of taking away the only haven I and so many half bloods knew.

"Then we fight our way to the inside." I determined.

"Daedalus is still alive so if we find him-he should at least know how to close the entrance. We close the entrance. We pick off the monsters already here. We win." Nico's plan sounded pretty good.

"And if he doesn't? The labyrinth has a mind of its own, I'm not so sure he could even control it." Annabeth said.

"It's our only shot." Percy concluded, his face was grave and ashen, as if he knew something worse was to happen.

Looking back on it, I think a part of him knew what was about to happen.

"Thalia and I will take on Kronos as a distraction, you two get past enemy lines and into the labyrinth to find Daedalus."

The daughter of Athena looked apprehensive but quickly squeezed my hands before releasing them. "Be careful. The both of you."

"We'll be okay." I whispered.

Nico looked sorry for us, as if we were already dead. He gave us a small smile before disappearing into the battle, Annabeth following suit.

"Are you ready for this, Sweetheart?"

Despite the chaos surrounding me, I chuckled. He had asked me that yesterday morning before everything went shit in a handbasket. I knew that today wasn't going to end well, even if we successfully managed to defeat our enemy. It was only temporary. Kronos would come back again with an even stronger force than today. Monsters and titans would align with him and he'd be almost unstoppable.

Almost. There was one thing Kronos didn't have that gave us the advantage. He didn't have the boy in front of me. He didn't have the boy who held the sun in his eyes and the weight of the world on his shoulders. He didn't have the boy who sacrificed himself over and over again for the ones he loved. He didn't have the boy who I had fallen madly and hopelessly in love with.

As long as Kronos didn't have Percy Jackson, we would be okay.

I took a deep breath and steadied myself before answering his question. "I'm ready."

Wordlessly, we both brandished our weapons and made our way to front lines to meet the titan of time. Campers, hell, even monsters moved out of our way as we inched closer Kronos.

Behind us, the campers had gotten into a formation and were either fighting off an opponent or about to. This was a full out battle and at the end of the day, I was determined to ensure the camp was safe.

As we neared, Kronos/Luke looked at us and chuckled underneath his breath, as if we weren't a worthy opponent for him. I gritted my teeth and clutched my shield tighter.

He should know better than to underestimate us.

Percy and I locked gazes and he nodded, confirming the attack.

"For Olympus!" We charged at the titan, picking up speed as we did so.

The other demigods gathered their wits and began to fight Kronos' army with renewed energy, repeating our cry as they charged their opponents.

I slashed at Kronos' left side but he pivoted in the other direction to avoid me and met Percy's high arc with his scythe. With a powerful blow, he knocked the blade out of Percy's hand, rendering him defenseless.

"Give up the act, Perseus." He snarled at Percy before quickly turning around to swing his weapon at me. Last minute, I ducked and rolled in front of him. I found myself standing between the father and son duo, raising my shield to protect Percy until his sword came back.

"You're not supposed to be good," The titan spat, anger flashing across his face. Or Luke's, rather. "You are my son; drawn to darkness and to darkness, you will return. Resistance is futile, Perseus."

"Well fortunately for me my middle name's resistance." Kronos' son countered, his sword back into his hand. "And my name is Percy, Dickhead."

And with that, he swung at his father and the two parried and blocked each other blows for a while, causing sparks with each blow.

When it looked like neither of them were going to gain the upper hand, I stepped in and deflected one of Kronos' blows with my spear. Kronos, temporarily dazed, almost stumbled backwards and I took the opportunity to try to corner him. Percy seemed to get the message and proceeded to dart around the titan so that I could push Kronos back towards him.

Unexpectedly, I tripped forward as I attempted to charge the Titan and Kronos sprang into action, wrenching me forward by the throat then flinging me into a nearby tree. When my body crashed into the tree, the contact sent a sharp, dull pain up my spine. The pain flared throughout my body, spreading as I tried to get up.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that." I heard Percy snarl and although my vision was too blurry to focus, I could tell he charged his father. When my vision had finally focused and my sharp pains had slightly lessened, I caught a glimpse of Percy being thrown into the rocks of Zeus' fist. He hit them with a defiant thud before crumbling to the forest floor like a rag doll. I didn't even have to debate whether I'd continue to fight Kronos or help him, my feet had already made the decision for me. Kronos' beady little eyes watched me skirt across the battlefield, dodging all the chaos that surrounded me, and as I neared Percy, he began to laugh-mocking me. "Run, little girl, run!"

I balled my fists, wanting to knock him the hell out but by the time I glanced back, he had disappeared behind enemy lines. Below me, Percy groaned, taking a shallow breath.

"Percy." I dropped to his side, my eyes scanning his body for any punctured skin. We both hadn't had the time to get suited up so hence, we more vulnerable to damage than others. "Look at me." I told him, holding his head still.

His eyes were slightly wild but they seemed to focus on me. "I'm...I'm okay." He managed to croak out and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can you stand?" I asked him. "Anything hurt?"

"I think I broke a rib," With my assistance, the demigod stood up. Slightly damaged, but nothing too serious. He twisted his torso and winced. "Or maybe two. Are you okay?"

"A little bruised but fine." I admitted, pulling him to the side.

We ran over to the sidelines, next to the medic tent. In the tent, Will Solace hovered his hands over a demigod who had an arrow impaled in his chest. I didn't know the injured demigod but I figured he must have been unclaimed. He was young, no older than twelve years old, just like I was when I first got to camp. His curly brown hair was matted with blood and sweat which caused his hair to stick to his clammy forehead. His body was jerking in practically every direction and nothing Will did was helping.

I left Percy's side and jogged over to them, bending by the cot the demigod lay on. I clutched his hand and it was ice cold. He wasn't going to last very long in this state.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I looked up at the son of Apollo.

Will looked at the boy sadly, his sky blue eyes in turmoil at the sight. "Just hold onto him until it's over." The son of Apollo placed bandages around the demigod's wound, giving him one last smile before going to tend to another person.

His words cut me like a knife and I drew in a shallow breath, looking at the pale boy. He was staring at me like I could help and I wanted to, oh gods, I wanted to. But there was nothing I could do.

"I don't..." His voice was soft, like a melody. "I don't want to die."

"Oh gods." Hot tears rushed down my face and I clutched his cold, little hands like I had the power to keep him here.

The demigod tried to respond but instead had a coughing fit, coughing up blood. When it receded, his breathing was shallow. "I've heard about you," He croaked, shattering my heart. "You're a daughter of Zeus."

I opened my mouth but no words came out.

He glanced at me sadly, his soft brown eyes fading with each second. "I've been here since I was ten. Haven't...haven't been claimed yet." There was a spark in his eyes and if it weren't for the mangled shape of his physique and the blood seeping through his bandages, he almost seemed alive. "Maybe I'm a son of Zeus?"

I blinked away the tears, gingerly placing the hair out of his face. Blood coated my hand as I pulled it back to my side, still holding his hand with my left one. "Maybe. I'd love to have a brother."

"Maybe if we were related, I'd be brave. Just like you." His eyes started to become glassy and I held onto him even tighter.

"You are brave." I told him, my voice shaking as I realized what was about to happen. "More than I am. Your godly parent would be so proud of you."

His chest heaved a few time before he choked out a response, his chapped lips beginning to bleed. "Really?"

"Really." I confirmed, his already cold hand becoming like ice in my palm.

"I'd like that." The demigod gave me a frail smile before it faded. His eyes bore into mine, piercing my soul and I didn't have the strength to look away. I felt his hand falter in mine and just as I grasped what had happend, my heart started to race. My chest falling and rising quickly. And suddenly, I felt like I drowning. Like I couldn't breathe and my chest began to close in on me.

As I gulped for air, strong hands pulled me away from the dead demigod and I started to fight them, kicking my flailing legs into the air. "No!" I screamed, clawing at the person's arms. "He didn't want to die!"

"It's okay, Thalia." The person said and immediately his voice calmed me down.

"Percy." I croaked through my tears. "He...he didn't want to die."

"I know." He told me, releasing me and when he did, I buried my face in his chest, clutching his blood stained shirt. I grabbed it by the fist fulls and he let me, circling his arms around me.

"There was nothing I could do." I sobbed, the tears flowing freely now. The more I thought about the unclaimed demigod in his last moments, the harder it got to breathe. I drew in shaky, uneven breaths. Completely forgetting how to breathe. "Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods." I repeated over and over again.

"He was brave." Percy told me, kissing my temple. But there was nothing even he could do, it was over.

Wordlessly, I nodded and he guided my head into the crook of his shoulder. "We're going to kick Kronos' ass."

Percy barked out a short laugh. "That's the plan."

I steadied myself to the protection of his strong arms and when I was ready, I pulled away from him. Wiping away the tears. I took one last look at the dead, unclaimed demigod and promised myself that his death wouldn't be in vain. I would make sure he was avenged and that the camp he sacrificed his life for would be safe. As I transformed my mace canister into my spear and readied Aegis, I observed the battle field. We were fighting a losing battle. Lifeless demigods and piles of monster dust scattered across the ground, the stench of blood and sweat in the air. Kronos' army had managed to push us back even further and we had no back up to replenish us. Soon or later, they'd out number us and I could only hope that Annabeth and Nico had gotten to Daedalus and were on their way with a solution.

"We need to launch a second wave of attack to give Nico and Annabeth more time." Percy assessed.

"With what back up?"

"None. We just need to buy more time." Percy's eyes burned a bright amber and I now knew what he was getting at.

"We'll tire ourselves out if we use too much power." I told him.

The boy smirked at me and laughter bubbled in my chest.

"Remember last fall, when your powers were playing whack-a-mole with you?"

"Yes, thank you for reminding me of that very fun dry spell." I murmured sarcastically.

"Remember when I told you that you had just as much, if not more power than Zeus' master bolt?"

I cursed myself for flushing, recalling that moment. At the time, our relationship wasn't an actual relationship, we sort of started of hating before dating.

"Now's your time to prove that to me." He dared, a spark igniting in his eyes. It melted my soul, answering something deep and unstirred within me.

"Oh please, I've proved that multiple times." I waved him off, clutching my spear.

"I beg to differ." He challenged, uncapping Riptide.

I watched as the pen grew into a six foot, glistening sword. The glare bounced off the sword and toward the nearby creek, as if it knew where its true power lay.

"Suck my dick, Percy Jackson." I taunted, running right into the middle of the battle.

Percy laughed before following and when he caught up to me, he threw me his one and only jack ass grin. "Oh, trust me, I know from experience that you don't have one."

I nearly stopped in my tracks and gaped at him, utterly appalled. "PERCY JACKSON!"

"That's my name, don't wear it out." He winked then dashed out onto the field. The water from the creek rose at his command and with one swift movement, he pointed Riptide at the incoming horde of monsters coming towards us and wiped them out. They fell over like bowling pins, toppling over one another. But a few bigger monsters like the Cyclops had recovered from the sudden attack and begun to stand up again.

"Not good." Percy grimaced, glancing back at me.

"I think water and electricity might be a good mix in this situation." I raised both my arms, feeling the winds pick up around me as they yielded to my command. My hair flew in the wind and I could only imagine how crazy I looked. My vision was compromised when the familiar whitish glow outlined my arms but this time a flickering blue electric current followed it. Static danced across my skin and the power building up inside of me demanded to be released. I shot my hands forward and a deadly bolt smacked right into the group of cyclops, taking the surrounding monsters down with it. The monsters were jolted by the force of electricity then they disintegrated, leaving nothing but ashes left.

"Well damn." Percy walked over to me, still smiling. "Ready for the grand finale?"

I blinked, lowering my arms. The back of my head was feeling some type some way and I had knew that I was going to feel that in the morning. "What do you have in mind?"

"Do you trust me?" He asked, extended out his hand.

I grasped his hand without hesitation but my words said otherwise. "That depends."

"You'll see." Percy directed us toward the creek and we dodged debris and flying monster body parts. So far, we holding out own against the monsters. We weren't beating them but we were slowing them down which was improvement.

Percy slid his arm around his waist with his free hand, the other hand clutching his spear. "Hold onto me. Tight."

I did so, clutching his shirt as he stepped into the freezing water, drenching us from the waist down. My muscles tensed up naturally and I had to remind myself to keep cool. While I was trying to calm down, Percy had begun manifesting a whirpool of sorts. It started off relatively small but then rose slowly, lifting us up slowly. I commanded the winds to hold us up and make the wave bigger. The whirpool was now a force to be reckoned with and the magnitude of its power blew our hair away from our faces.

Below us, everyone looked like ants. We were still in the full heat of battle but some campers-even monsters-were distracted by our sudden conjuring of a natural disaster.

My stomach lurched when I realized how high we were-we were practically above the tree tops and anything higher than a foot above the ground was too high for me. Percy wasn't faring well either; turning a shade of green.

"You see that entire line of monsters lined up in front of the Labyrinth's entrance?" He had to yell to be through the wind.

I opted for a nod and he continued to speak. "I've been watching the enemy side for a while and I noticed that this line of defense stays there-like they're providing cover for the next wave to come out of the entrance. Once the next wave comes, the defensive goes on the offense and joins the rest of the battle."

"Like a barrier." I concluded. "We take out that line, the next wave of monsters won't have any protection and we could at push them back."

Percy nodded and the whirlpool subsided slightly but it was still a tumultuous force.

"I'll blast them with a flash of lightning so they can't see. While they're flipping out over that, you think you could send a wave or two?"

"Sounds good." He breathed. He was getting tired and so was I so if this didn't work out well we were as good as dead.

Once again, I summoned all the power within me, I directed my spear toward the enemy's line of defense and released a powerful blast. A wall of electricity crackled through them and even I was thoroughly impressed; I hadn't even known I could do that.

Percy blew out a low whistle and I straightened my spine, feeling pretty good about myself. Then my boyfriend put me to shame when he conjured a ten foot wave that swept the monsters and their mamas away.

"Show off." I muttered as he lowered the whirlpool which eventually reduced back to the creek. Now on dry land, I could everything clearly. Everything and everyone within a five mile radius was drenched in water, looking at us in disbelief. But as we predicted, the next wave of monsters burst out of the labyrinth and were clearly confused as their defensive wasn't there.

It was then that Percy and I sprang into action.

"Push them back!" He yelled over and over again until all the half bloods were actively forcing them back. With every sword clash, the monsters began retreating and things were looking up. Meanwhile, I whistled for the archers to take care of the wave of monsters that had emerged and they did so. Percy and I joined in, hacking away at the enemy with our swords but pretty soon, it was wearing us down. Fortunately, we had managed to dwindle the monsters' numbers until we outnumbered them. A few of them starting turning to run back into the Labyrinth but something stopped them in their tracks. I heard a deafening roar and out of the labyrinth erupted a monster unlike any other. It was a woman's body from the waist up and a fully fledged dragon from below. Kampe.

I halted and Percy did the same, throwing a desperate glance at me.

I bit my lip, trying to fight the fatigue trying to take me over. "I hope Annabeth and Nico are on their way."

"They'll be here." Percy assured me but I had a feeling he did it in part to reassure himself. "We just have to hold out until then. Got another storm brewing in you?"

"I've got a sword, a shield, and a prayer."

"Ok, new plan." He pulled me aside and craned his neck. "We're going to need some Greek fire, some type of catapult-"

Percy was interrupted by the harsh sound of a hunting horn being blown. If it weren't for my pride, I was ready to kiss the ground and bless the gods, even the minor ones. An inaudible chuckle flew from my lips because this was such a different reaction from the last time I had seen them.

A group of girls in silver parkas aimed their arrows at Kampe and their arrows flew, wounding the monster. I noticed that one girl with reddish brown hair was leading them, I had heard her name before and I think it was Phoebe. But there was something off-she didn't have that signature silver circlet floating above her head; guess Artemis hadn't chosen a new lieutenant. Whoever was going to take over after Zoë had some hefty shoes to fill. Percy and I watched as the hunters teamed up with the Apollo kids and released a volley of potent arrows. Some arrows had fire on them and created a powerful blast. Despite that, Kampe wasn't ready to be vanquished just yet. The top half of her transformed into a bear and she got down on all fours, aiming her sights on the archers. Instictively, Percy and I ran out to block her, dodging her claws. I used to little of my power left to conjure up a few bolts while Percy tried to slow her down with his time powers. When my bolts were barely inflicting any damage, I glanced behind me.

"Fall back?" Percy held out his sword, awaiting my answer.

I nodded and we turned on our heels and ran behind the archery line.

The ginger haired huntress nodded to us. "Phoebe."

"Thalia," I breathed then motioned to Percy who muttered a breathless greeting. "That's Percy."

"Good to see you again, Percy. Zoë spoke highly of you." My eyebrows flew up at Phoebe's comment-I guess the hunters weren't so hell bent on hating men as I thought. But then she added, "For a boy."

I stand corrected.

"Thanks." Percy muttered sarcastically but a pang of pain flashed across his face. Zoë was the former lieutenant of the Hunt and the two were rather close before she died about two months ago.

"I assume you all have back up on the way?" She looked at us, hopeful. "We were just in the area on our way to pick up Annabeth. You two know her right?"

"No, we thought you guys were the back up. No one else is coming to help." I admitted. "But we have a plan in effect-Annabeth and another friend of ours went into the Labyrinth. All the monsters are coming out of there so they're working on a way to destroy it from the inside."

Phoebe tilted her head then pointed to something over my shoulder. "I think they figured it out."

I glanced behind me and saw Annabeth running up to us, dodging the monsters that were trying to take a swipe at her.

She nodded to Phoebe before turning to face Percy and me. "We found Daedalus. Nico is with him; they're by the medic tent. We didn't see Grover and Tyson, I'm sorry." She said, out of breath.

"That's okay. It's good to see you in one piece, Wisegirl." Percy ran his hand through his hair and I could tell he was worried about his half brother and Grover.

"Same to you, Seaweed Brain." The blonde took a step back, looking at us in awe. "You two look like shit. We were only gone for thirty minutes."

"It has felt like thirty hours on our end." I told her before looking over to the medic tents. "Hopefully Daedalus knows how to fix this."

"I think so. You two go, we've got this." The daughter of Athena encouraged.

"But Kampe..." Percy frowned then looked over his shoulder. "Well, that takes care of that."

I did the same and saw Brairies, the last of his kind, unleashing holy hell on Kampe. Fifty of his hands were throwing boulders at her while the other hands were delivering punch after punch.

"No more Kampe!" He yelled, charging his opponent. The campers began cheering and some joined the fight, taking down Kampe in one swift move. That victory seemed to resonate within us all and the campers started pushing back the monsters once more.

Now it was up to us to take down the Labyrinth. Percy and I left the battle field and made our way to the tents were the inventor of the maze stood, overlooking the battle. The son of Hades' face looked paler than usual, the playful glint in his onyx eyes gone.

"We can take down the Labyrinth." He said slowly, twisting the opal ring on his index finger.

Immediately, I sensed there was catch to that statement. "But..."

"But we'd destroy everything in it, not just the entrance to Camp. Including Tyson and Grover, who are most likely still in there."

Percy and I exchanged looks before he nodded to Daedalus. "Do it. Destroy the Labyrinth. Thalia and I will go inside and get them out in time."

"We could wait for you all to get out..." The man suggested.

"No time. By then the monsters will outrun the Camp. We'll find them and find another exit. It may be in Arizona or back at Triple G's ranch-either, we will make it out. Do what you have to do." I told him.

"Very well then." The man looked at us sadly before sighing. I knew that the Labyrinth was one of his greatest accomplishments but he owed us this. He had conspired with Kronos and this was just karma rearing its head. But there was something off with this picture.

"Wait, how will you destroy the Labyrinth?" I asked, puzzled.

"My life force is attached to the maze. When I die, the maze dies too."

"What? No, we can't do that." I shook my head, looking between the three demigods. "He'll die!"

"Or we die. All of our friends. This camp will be burned to the ground." Percy motioned to the battle that was still in full force. "And unlike him, we haven't had lifetimes to live."

"There has to be another way." I insisted, looking at the son of Athena.

"I'm afraid there isn't, my dear. It's alright, it's my time to go. No one should evade death this long and knowing that Minos is no longer will make my afterlife slightly easier. I have wronged my nephew and I want to see my son again. It's time." Daedalus smiled sadly then pointed a few yards away from me where a hell hound was bounding around, viciously attacking monsters. "Take care of Mrs. O'Leary for me, she appreciates a good dummy here and there. And she likes you; I haven't seen her react like that towards anyone but me. I've given Annabeth copies of my unfinished work and my laptop, ensure that she'll complete them. They are monuments for the gods."

"Of course." I nodded, promising to see it through.

"Good. Good." The man turned to Percy, laying a hand on his shoulder. "You've quite handy with that sword of yours, one of the finest swordsmen I'd ever seen."

"Thank you." Percy said humbly. "And thank you for what you are about to do."

"But your girlfriend would beat you in a sword fight on your best day." The inventor joked which earned a laugh from me.

"Nico, please kill him before I do so myself." Percy retorted.

"On it." The son of Hades grasped the inventor's hand and nodded at us. "I'll give you guys a head start."

Whipping out Aegis, I took Percy's hand and whisked him away, repelling incoming monsters with my shield. We made it to the entrance at a time where no monsters were pouring out of it and got in without any hiccups. Not really sure where to go, we went down the right tunnel, calling out for Tyson and Grover as we did so.

At one point, Percy's hand brushed mine, and I looked up.

He winked.

Shaking my head, I shifted my weight restlessly. Percy squeezed my hand, as if he could sense my nervousness. I stretched up on the tips of my toes and cupped Percy's cheek, guiding his head down to mine. I kissed him deeply and without reservation.

"For good luck." I said after I pulled back, a bit breathless.

His gold eyes glinted with a wealth of promises that sent a very different kind of chills over me. When we got home, we were so getting some one-on-one time. Because we would get home, Tyson and Grover in tow. There could be no other outcome.

"Did you hear that?" Percy asked, stopping in his tracks.

"Hear what?" I questioned, trying to pick up on any noise. At first I had nothing but a moment later I heard a faint voice. The voice got louder as it approached our direction, footsteps accompanying it.

"Thalia, Percy! Thank the gods I found you." Nico Di Angelo ran up to us, sweaty and breathless.

"What happened?" I asked. "Did Daedalus back out? Why are you here?"

Nico took a moment to catch his breath before responding. "No, nothing like that. He just forgot to give you guys this." The boy pulled out what looked like a blue twine of string.

"Is that what I think it is-Ariadne's string?" I gasped.

"Yeah." Nico handed it to me and it glowed a bright blue in my palm. A warm feeling encompassed me, like I was sitting by a kindling fire. Immediately, the string unraveled itself and had begun to snake its way toward the end of the long, dark hallway.

The three of us began following the magical string before Percy spoke up. "Wait, Nico-if you're here, how do we know if Daedalus is actually offing himself?"

"Please don't use the word "offing" again." I told him.

"Well it's true." Percy countered.

As if sensing one of our word wars, Nico quickly interjected. "Anyway, Daedalus is dying-I've ensured that, I've just made the process...slower."

"How so?" Percy questioned.

"He's slowing bleeding out."

"Ah, nice."

"Thank you. I came up with it." Nico beamed before continuing. "Anyway, I came to deliver the string and since I can tell when Daedalus is teetering around the drain, I can give you guys a heads up so this place doesn't collapse on you."

"Collaspe-" I froze when the string stopped snaking forward. A few feet in front of us, my gaze fixed on a trampled clump of red fabric lying on the ground. It was a Rasta cap: the one Grover always wore.

My hands shook as I picked up the cap. It looked like it had been stepped on by a huge muddy boot. After all that I'd gone through today, I couldn't stand the thought that something might've happened to Grover, too.

Then I noticed something else-the Labyrinth had shifted into a cave. The cave floor was mushy and wet from the water dripping off the stalactites. There were large footprints like Tyson's, and smaller ones—goat hooves—leading off to the left.

"They're near here." Percy said, dashing out of the cave and into a tunnel.

I followed bracing myself for the worst. The tunnel was treacherous. It sloped at weird angles and was slimy with moisture. Half the time we were slipping and sliding rather than walking.

Finally we got to the bottom of a slope and found ourselves in a large cave with huge stalagmite columns. Through the center of the room ran an underground river, and Tyson was sitting by the banks, cradling Grover in his lap. Grover's eyes were closed. He wasn't moving.

"Tyson!" His half brother yelled.

"Percy! Come quick!"

We ran over to him. Grover wasn't dead, thank the gods, but his whole body trembled like he was freezing to death.

"What happened?" I asked.

"So many things," Tyson murmured. "Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then…we got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reached this room, and he fell. Like this."

"Did he say anything?" I asked.

"He said, 'We're close.' Then hit his head on rocks." I knelt next to him. The only other time I'd seen Grover pass out was New Mexico, when he'd felt the presence of Pan.

Nico pulled out a flashlight and shone it around the cavern. The rocks glittered. At the far end was the entrance to another cave, flanked by gigantic columns of crystal that looked like diamonds. And beyond that entrance…

"Grover," I said. "Wake up."

"Uhhhhhhhh."

Percy knelt next to him and splashed icy cold river water in his face.

"Holy quesadillas!" His eyelids fluttered. "Percy? Thalia? Nico? Where…"

"It's okay," I said. "You passed out. The presence was too much for you."

"I—I remember. Pan."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Something powerful is just beyond that doorway."

"We've got to get out of here-camp has been invaded by Kronos' army and they're coming out of the Labyrinth. The only way to take them out is to destroy the Labyrinth. Long story short, we need to get the hell out before this place collapses." I said. "Come on, Grover. Lean on me." Percy and I helped him up, and together we waded across the underground river. The current was strong. The water came up to our waists.

The cold water reminded me of the time I had developed a zombie fever as a result of me and Percy being bonded by the Fates. I don't remember the incident-if anything, it had seemed like a dream to me-but Percy said that I had tried to swim in a negative degree lake to cool down.

"I think we're in Carlsbad Caverns," Nico said, teeth chattering as he and Tyson followed behind. "Maybe an unexplored section."

"How do you know?" Tyson asked.

"Carlsbad is in New Mexico," the boy responded. "That would explain last winter." I nodded. Grover's swooning episode had happened when we passed through New Mexico. That's where he'd felt closest to the power of Pan.

We got out of the water and kept walking. As the crystal pillars loomed larger, I started to feel the power emanating from the next room. I'd been in the presence of gods before, but this was different. My skin tingled with living energy. My weariness fell away, as if I'd just gotten a good night's sleep. I could feel myself growing stronger, like one of those plants in a time-lapse video. And the scent coming from the cave was nothing like the dank wet underground. It smelled of trees and flowers and a warm summer day.

Grover whimpered with excitement. I was too stunned to talk. Even Nico seemed speechless. We stepped into the cave, apprehensive of what we might find. The walls glittered with crystals—red, green, and blue. In the strange light, beautiful plants grew—giant orchids, star-shaped flowers, vines bursting with orange and purple berries that crept among the crystals. The cave floor was covered with green moss. Overhead, the ceiling was higher than a cathedral, sparkling like a galaxy of stars. In the center of the cave stood a Roman-style bed, gilded wood shaped like a curly U, with velvet cushions.

Animals lounged around it—but they were animals that shouldn't have been alive. There was a dodo bird, something that looked like a cross between a lion and a tiger, a huge rodent like the mother of all guinea pigs, and roaming behind the bed, picking berries with its trunk, was a wooly mammoth.

On the bed lay an old satyr. He watched us as we approached, his eyes as blue as the sky. His curly hair was white and so was his pointed beard. Even the goat fur on his legs was frosted with gray. His horns were enormous—glossy brown and curved. There was no way he could've hidden those under a hat the way Grover did. Around his neck hung a set of reed pipes.

Grover fell to his knees in front of the bed. "Lord Pan!" The god smiled kindly, but there was sadness in his eyes. "Grover, my dear, brave satyr. I have waited a very long time for you."

"I…got lost," Grover apologized.

Pan laughed. It was a wonderful sound, like the first breeze of springtime, filling the whole cavern with hope. The tiger-lion sighed and rested his head on the god's knee. The dodo bird pecked affectionately at the god's hooves, making a strange sound in the back of its bill. I could swear it was humming "It's a Small World."

Still, Pan looked tired. His whole form shimmered as if he were made of Mist.

Immediately, we got on one as reverence to the god. Not even a milisecond after we did so, the ground trembled and a crack appeared behind Pan's bed. We were running out of time.

The dodo bird squawked, flapping its wing.

The god's eyes twinkled. "Calm down, Dede." Dede the dodo pecked at Pan's knee and hummed something that sounded like a funeral dirge.

"This is the most beautiful place!" I said, awed.

"I am glad you like it, dear," Pan said. "It is one of the last wild places. My realm above is gone, I'm afraid. Only pockets remain. Tiny pieces of life. This one shall stay undisturbed…for a little longer."

"My lord," Grover said, "please, you must come back with me! The Elders will never believe it! They'll be overjoyed! You can save the wild!" Pan placed his hand on Grover's head and ruffled his curly hair. "You are so young, Grover. So good and true. I think I chose well."

"Chose?" Grover said. "I—I don't understand."

Pan's image flickered, momentarily turning to smoke. The giant guinea pig scuttled under the bed with a terrified squeal. The wooly mammoth grunted nervously. Dede stuck her head under her wing. Then Pan re-formed.

"I have slept many eons," the god said forlornly. "My dreams have been dark. I wake fitfully, and each time my waking is shorter. Now we are near the end."

"What?" Grover cried. "But no! You're right here!"

"My dear satyr," Pan said. "I tried to tell the world, two thousand years ago. I announced it to Lysas, a satyr very much like you. He lived in Ephesos, and he tried to spread the word."

Nico's eyes widened. "The old story. A sailor passing by the coast of Ephesos heard a voice crying from the shore, 'Tell them the great god Pan is dead.'"

"But that wasn't true!" Grover insisted.

"Your kind never believed it," Pan said. "You sweet, stubborn satyrs refused to accept my passing. And I love you for that, but you only delayed the inevitable. You only prolonged my long, painful passing, my dark twilight sleep. It must end."

"No!" Grover's voice trembled.

"Dear Grover," Pan said. "You must accept the truth. Your companion, Nico, he understands."

Nico nodded slowly. "He's dying. He should have died long ago. This…this is more like a memory."

"B-but gods can't die," Grover stumbled.

"They can fade," Pan said, "when everything they stood for is gone. When they cease to have power, and their sacred places disappear. The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so shattered, that no god can save it. My realm is gone. That is why I need you to carry a message. You must go back to the council. You must tell the satyrs, and the dryads, and the other spirits of nature, that the great god Pan is dead. Tell them of my passing. Because they must stop waiting for me to save them. I cannot. The only salvation you must make yourself. Each of you must—"

He stopped and frowned at the dodo bird, who had started humming again.

"Dede, what are you doing?" Pan demanded. "Are you singing Kumbaya again?"

Dede looked up innocently and blinked her yellow eyes.

Pan sighed. "Everybody's a cynic. But as I was saying, my dear Grover, each of you must take up my calling."

"But…no!" Grover whimpered.

"Be strong," Pan said. "You have found me. And now you must release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken up by all of you."

Pan looked straight at me with his clear blue eyes, and I realized he wasn't just talking about satyrs. He meant half-bloods, too, and humans.

Everyone.

"Percy Jackson," the god said. "I know the gods haven't been the kindest ally to you but I hope you realize that you are here out of you own will. If not, you wouldn't have gone on all these quests-I think you know this is the side worth fighting for. You're going to need to remember that...for the future."

He turned to Nico. "Son of Hades, your time is coming. You will play a role in this war and bring honor to your father." Then he looked at Tyson. "Master Cyclops, your name shall live among the Cyclopes for generations. And Thalia, daughter of Zeus…"

"You going to need to strength for what is to come." he said quickly before turning to Grover who looked like he was near tears. "My dear satyr," Pan said kindly, "will you carry my message?"

"I—I can't."

"You can," Pan said. "You are the strongest and the bravest. Your heart is true. You have believed in me more than anyone ever has, which is why you must bring the message, and why you must be the first to release me."

"I don't want to."

"I know," the god said. "But my name, Pan…originally it meant rustic, you know that? But over the years it has come to mean all. The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must tell each one you meet: if you would find Pan, take up Pan's spirit. Remake the wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you."

Grover wiped his eyes. Then slowly he stood. "I've spent my whole life looking for you. But now…I release you."

Pan smiled. "Thank you, dear satyr. My final blessing." He closed his eyes, and the god dissolved. White mist divided into wisps of energy, filing the room. A curl of smoke went straight into my mouth, and Grover's and the others. But I think a little more of it went into Grover. The crystals dimmed. The animals gave us a sad look. Dede the dodo sighed. Then they all turned gray and crumbled to dust. The vines withered. And we were alone in a dark cave, with an empty bed.

Grover took a deep breath.

"Are…are you okay?" I asked him.

He looked older and sadder. "We should go now," he said, "and tell them. The great god Pan is dead."

As soon as he said that, the Labyrinth shook, this time with more force.

"We've got less than five minutes," Nico warned. "Time to skeet skeet."

Urgency kicked adrenaline into high gear and without any more delay, the five of us took off down the hall. When we reached the end of the hall, the Labyrinth transformed itself into a completely white room. Not good. Tyson turned around to shake the door's knob but it wouldn't give. We were trapped and as luck would have it, we weren't alone.

Luke/Kronos stood there—his scythe in one hand and a smile on his face. All of us were caught off guard. Percy took a step back. Nico came to a halt. He must've followed us; he waited for us.

The tiny hairs on my arms started to rise.

"Oh shit," Percy said.

Luke/Kronos smiled but his gold eyes made my blood run cold.

Then he raised an happened so fast. Luke/Kronos opened his hand, and it was like being hit with gale force winds. I was lifted off my feet and thrown back through the air. I crashed into the nearest door, my hip hitting the metal door handle. Pain exploded, knocking the air out of my lungs as I hit the floor.

My brain raced to keep up with what was happening. The Labyrinth was shaking actively now, the walls had cracks in them. The place was collapsing and if we didn't get escape from the evil Titan lord, we'd be buried in the maze.

Percy was picking himself up several feet back down the hall, as was Tyson. Grover and Nico pressed back against the wall.

I pushed myself up, wincing as pain arced down my leg. I tried to stand, but my leg gave out. Suddenly Nico was there, catching me before I hit the floor for the second time.

Luke/Kronos stepped closer and smiled.

Percy staggered to his feet. "Oh, you are so dead."

"Ah, I think that's my line," Luke/Kronos responded. A burst of energy flew from his scythe, and I yelled Percy's name. He narrowly avoided a direct hit.

Percy's pupils were starting to glow golden. He uncapped Riptide and took a swipe at his father. Luke/Kronos easily side stepped, laughing.

"You're going to wear yourself out, son." Luke/Kronos sneered.

"Not before you."

Luke/Kronos winked and then spun toward us, throwing his scythe out again. Nico and I skidded back. I started to fall and Nico grabbed me. There was a tugging feeling and then Percy was beside me, shoving me behind him.

"This is so not good," Nico said, edging closer to Luke/Kronos. "We're running out of time."

"No shit," Percy spat.

Tyson shot toward Luke/Kronos, but he threw him back, laughing. The titan flicked his hand and Nico flew into Grover. Both of them crashed into each other, crumpling to the ground. Luke/Kronos kept advancing, still smiling. I looked up and our eyes locked. His were devoid of all human emotion. Unreal. Inhuman.

And they were so very cold.

Panic kept me rooted to the ground and pain was shooting up my leg. The breath-stealing pain made it difficult to concentrate, to even keep standing.

Luke/Kronos's smile spread, and a shudder rolled through me as I manifested my power, feeling it spark deep inside me. Before I could release it, he opened his mouth. "Want to die, Thalia?"

"Oh, screw this," Percy growled.

Percy was just so much faster than me. Moving so fast while dodging the concrete falling around us must've been difficult, but he was like lightning. Half a heartbeat later, he was in front of Luke/Kronos, his hands in front of him.

My legs started to feel like jelly and my breathing slowed down instantaneously. He was using his time powers but he was no match for Kronos because just as Percy was slowing down time, Kronos' eyes burned golden as he worked against him.

"Go!" Percy yelled, his voice strained.

Tyson ripped the door of its hinges and Grover was helping Nico up.

"I'm not leaving you!" I insisted.

Percy looked back at me and the amber in his eyes was so gold they looked like orbs of pure light. "Go, please." He pleaded.

I was still shaking my head when Tyson picked me and threw me over his shoulder, running out of the room.

"NO!" I screamed, trying to break free of Tyson's grip.

"He will come later." Tyson said but his voice wavered. My breath stalled in my chest as running footsteps that weren't Nico and Grover's approached. Out of breath but still alive, a mop of jet black hair ran up to us.

"Percy!" Tyson released me and I forced myself forward, I ignored the jagged pain racing up and down my leg.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, his fingers threading through mine. "You took a nasty hit."

"I'm okay." I was alive and I could walk, so that had to mean I was okay. "You?"

He nodded as we continued to run down the hallway. At the end of the hallway, there was a left and a right tunnel.

"Not the left! Not the left!" Nico warned and took a sharp right.

We followed him, trying to keep a steady pace while the Labyrinth was still collapsing around us. In the distance, we spotted a delta and we were so close to the exit when a chunk of the tunnel fell, blocking us from the exit.

"We have to turn around." Grover said.

"We can't go down the right tunnel." Nico insisted.

"And we can't go back down the hallway we came from-Kronos is still out there." I pointed out. "And this place is about to go under. How much time, Nico?"

The young boy looked at me grimly. "None. He's dead."

"Dammit. We're taking the right tunnel then." Percy said, herding the group toward the opposite direction. Nico looked a little wigged out but whatever was down the right tunnel couldn't be worse than death, right? Because we would die if we didn't get out of here.

A chunk of the ceiling crumbled down and separated the group. Tyson pushed Nico and Grover to the right while Percy and I dove to the right.

"You guys okay?" I yelled out, breathing heavily.

"We're all okay." Grover confirmed, groaning. The maze was trembling like a leaf and we all sat down, waiting for it to stop momentarily.

I felt Percy shift beside me, and then his lips brushed my forehead.

"It's going to be okay. We're almost out of here. We got this," Percy whispered into my ear, and more tension seeped out of him, out of me. Then he smiled. It was a real one, so wide and beautiful that my own lips curved to meet his. "I promise, Thalia."

I closed my eyes briefly, soaking in his words and hanging onto them. I needed to believe in them because I was seconds away from freaking out. I had to hold it together. We were a tunnel away from freedom.

"Let's go." Percy said and the entire group got up and started running again.

The long narrow tunnel had a delta up ahead, thankfully, and was beautifully empty and devoid of anymore freak-me-out surprises. Percy and I took up the flank with Tyson in front of Grover and Nico, just in case something happened.

"Stay behind me," Percy said.

Nodding, I kept my eyes peeled. The tunnel was a blur, we were moving that fast. The pain in my leg increased with each step.

Pushing past the pain, I started forward, taking a few steps before my leg was snatched from behind. I went down fast and hard. I heard a slithering sound right before my face smashed into the cement and knew what monster that was.

I twisted onto my side and kicked out with my good leg, catching the empousai in the face. There was a satisfying wet crunching, sound and the monster let go. I scrambled to my feet, gritting my teeth from the pain in my leg as I headed for Percy. He'd turned and was coming back for me as a low hum rumbled through the maze, gaining and gaining until it was all that we could hear. All of us stopped. Light flooded the tunnel and down the hall, and I heard automatic locks slamming into place. The thump-thump-thump went on in an endless succession.

"No," Nico said, his eyes darting down from where we came. "Remember that security system I told you guys about in chapter four. Well guess what? That was foreshadow and um, it's happening now."

"Wait you said that was around Tartarus' entrance. Does that mean the right tunnel led us to Tartarus?" Percy asked, out of breath.

"Yeah." Nico twisted the opal ring on his finger and it transformed into a midnight black sword. "By the way, incoming monsters at one o'clock and nasty blue lasers."

Percy's gaze shot behind me. I turned, seeing light flaring in the tunnel, crackling and forming a wall of shimmering blue light. One after another, every ten feet or so, over and over…

The blue light came down on a hellhound not too far behind me. It caught it, and the light flared. There was a loud cracking sound, like a fly caught in one of those traps.

"Oh my gods," I whispered.

The hellhound was gone—simply just gone.

Don't go near the blue light, Nico had said. They're lasers. Rip you right apart.

"Thalia!" Percy lurched forward, his hands reaching for me, but it was too late. Before he could reach me, and not even a foot from my face, a sheet of blue light appeared and heat blew off it, blowing my hair back. Percy let out a startled scream, and I jerked back.

I couldn't believe it. Not possible. I refused to believe it. Percy was on the other side of the light, closer to the exit, and I…I was on the other side, the wrong side. Suddenly, the temperature dropped to what felt like freezing. I didn't have to look behind me to know that the abyss of Tartarus was less than a foot away from me. If I even so much as took two steps backward, I would fall in.

Percy's eyes met mine and the look in them, the horror in his extraordinary gold eyes cracked my heart into a million useless pieces. He understood—oh, gods, he understood what was happening. I was trapped.

The walls collapsed on themselves. Debris flew from every direction. Monsters in the maze began nearing the entrance to Tartarus. They sounded like they were coming from everywhere. In front of us, from behind, and all corners. I couldn't turn, though, couldn't look behind me or away from Percy.

"Thalia," he begged.

Percy reacted so fast, but for once in his entire life, he wasn't fast enough. He couldn't be. Emergency doors started to slide from the top and bottom, and Percy shot to the side, slamming his palm on a tiny control panel that had just appeared out of thin air. Nothing was working. The doors kept sliding together. The blue light was like a stream of destruction separating us. Percy whipped toward me. He launched toward the blue shield, and I let out a startled gasp. He'd be destroyed if he hit the lasers!

I held out my hand, ignoring the heat as I pushed at Percy with the last of my strength and will, holding his straining body back from the blue lights until Tyson sprang into action, grabbing Percy around his waist. I slid to the floor, my knees barely catching me. Percy went wild, throwing punches and dragging Tyson as he struggled to move forward, but Tyson got him back from the light, managing to bring Percy down to his knees.

It was too late.

"No! Please! No!" he roared, his voice cracking in a way I'd never heard before. "Thalia!"

The Labyrinth rattled and I felt clawed hands grab my ankles.

"Remember me, Thalia?" A gruff voice said in my ear, sounding like Luke. But I knew better-it was the cyclops I had encountered when I was the run with Luke and Annabeth.

"And us? We're going to have so much fun now." Empousai slid along my back, but I couldn't look away from Percy.

Our eyes locked, and I would never, ever forget the terror in his, the look of pure helplessness. Everything felt surreal on my end, like I really wasn't here. I tried to smile for him, but I'm not sure I managed one.

"It'll be okay," I whispered as tears filled my eyes. A part of the ceiling came crashing down. "It'll be all right."

Percy's gold eyes held a glassy sheen. His arm reached out, fingers splayed. They never reached the laser or the door. "I love you, Thalia Grace. Always have. Always will," he said, voice thick and hoarse with panic. "I will come back for you. I will—"

The emergency doors sealed shut with a soft thud. "I love you," I said, but Percy… Percy was gone. Gone on the other side of the doors and I was trapped. It was then that I realized that the prophecy had been fulfilled.

 _You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze,_ _to find the two you seek to raise._ We went into the Labyrinth to find Paul and Luke's automaton.

 _First, you must play by the ghost king's hand-_ We promised Nico, the ghost king, a favor in exchange for information about the Labyrinth

 _Then The child of Athena will take the final stand-_ Daedalus' death caused the Labyrinth to collapse

 _And with one final breath,_ _You shall lose your love to a fate worse than death._ The prophecy was given to Percy and I was his love. I used the last bit of my strength to push him toward safety while I stayed behind.

Now I understood this line-I was trapped and even though the blue shield had just lowered, the labyrinth was caving in on itself. There was only one way to survive.

For a moment I couldn't think, couldn't breathe. I opened my mouth to scream, but terror poured into me, cutting off the sound.

I turned around slowly, lifting my head as a tear rolled down my cheek. The Cyclops stood there, head tilted to the side. I couldn't see his eyes in the dark, and I was glad I couldn't.

He knelt, and beyond him and the other monsters. The Empousai reached out, trailing an icy finger down my cheek, chasing the tear, and I recoiled away.

"This is going to hurt," the Cyclops said. He leaned in, his face inches from mine and his breath cold against my mouth.

"Oh gods," I whispered.

A burst of pain encompassed every cell in my body, and the air flew out of my lungs. Suspended there, I couldn't move away. My arms didn't work. It felt like I was still screaming, but there was no sound.

There was no Percy.

* * *

 **A/N- So this is awkward...I'm just going to see myself out now. Byeeeeee**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N-Hey guys! Last chapter of Chosen here yay! PLEASE READ: So I tried this new thing with this chapter and wrote in frame narrative which means that a character is telling a story. It's kind of like a flashback. Most people put flashbacks in italics but my eyes can't take an entire chapter of italics so what I've decided to do is have the flashback is in past tense, and the rest is in present. I think that makes more sense so hopefully, you understood that. On with the story!**

* * *

 **The first thing I notice is a dry sensation in my mouth.** There's a pounding in my head and for a moment, I think I'm dead until a soft voice speaks up.

"Easy, now. Don't move, Thalia."

It takes me a moment to recognize the voice but when I do, my eyes fly open. The daughter of Athena was hovering over me, her gray eyes dark with worry. She attempts to give me a small smile and the movement causes a rustling sound. I look her over once, trying to detect that ruffling sound and that's when I realize that it was her clothing-she was wearing a silver parka.

She's a hunter of Artemis now. I had almost forgotten that.

The aluminum-like material provides illumination and my eyes drift around the room. I'm in the infirmary, judging by the rows of empty cots next to mine. The room is relatively dark with the exception of the lamp by the door and the medical equipment that gleamed in the dark.

"W-What happened? Where's Grover? Tyson? Nico?" I croak out, confused.

"They're fine-it's midnight, they're asleep." The girl informs me and I notice that she is holding out a spoon of gold liquid-Nectar, the drink of the gods. "Do you think you can sit up?"

With a wince, I do my best to sit up in the cot. Fortunately, the cot is pressed up against the wall so my back was well supported. My entire body aches-like I had been running for miles but other than that, nothing felt broken. I flex my feet under the blanket covering me-nothing was broken. Not even a cast. I wiggle my arms, still fine. But my head-my head feels like it had been rattled one too many times. Memories flash through my mind-images of people that I knew appeared, but nothing really made sense. I try to focus on the images flashing through my mind and manage to grasp onto someone-Percy.

"Where's Percy? Annabeth, what happened?" I ask her again, my voice more demanding this time.

A dark shadow casts over her face and instead of responding, she shoves nectar in my mouth. "I was hoping you could tell me. Tell me the last thing you remember."

I swallow the liquid but the warm feeling that came with it didn't soothe me. "There was a battle...monsters were pouring out of the Labyrinth." I say but my words are slow, and my mind is struggling to remember all the events that had occurred.

"Keep going." Annabeth encourages.

"We had to close the Labyrinth and the only way to do that was for Daedalus to die. But the entire Labyrinth would cave in on itself while Grover and Tyson were inside. Percy, Nico, and I went inside to try to find them. We found them and Pan, the god of the Wild."

"And Grover released his spirit." Annabeth finishes. "Then what? Do you remember?"

"Then Kronos found us and we managed to lose him but the Labyrinth was falling apart. The only exit was by Tartarus so we headed in that direction but there were monsters, so many..." My heart rate starts to pick up and Annabeth sets down the spoon, opting to hold my hand. The warmth from her touch induces me to go on but this was the part were my memory was getting patchy. "Then the blue lasers came up, it separated Percy and me. Behind me was Tartarus and he tried to stay but I...I pushed him away. When he was gone, I had no choice. Either be buried or fall into the pit."

A shudder retires through Annabeth and she looks at the wall behind me with a glassy stare. "So you fell in." It's a question but it comes out as a statement.

I exhale sharply. "Yes."

"Then what happened?"

"I...I don't remember." The images were gone now and digging for them started to hurt again. "Please...please, tell me where Percy is before I lose my mind. Annabeth, if something happened to him just tell me. Please."

Annabeth's face was hard to read but one thing was clear, she wasn't going to tell me. "Get some rest. I'll be back in the morning." Before I can ask any more questions, the daughter of Athena gets up, turns off the light, and leaves into the cold February air.

I slide back down on my cot, allowing the darkness encompass me like a cocoon. If Annabeth wasn't going to tell me that meant no one else would. Which meant that I had to find out myself-by remembering what had happened. Whatever happened to Percy, I could handle it because I knew one thing-he wasn't dead. I was still alive and our lives had been tethered together by the fates which meant that he was still alive. And I was going to hold onto that hope-no, fact. I hold onto that fact as sleep pulled me under, causing me to drift into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The early morning light peeks through the windows pierces through my eyelids, disrupting my sleep. My senses trickle back into to me and I start to pick up some voices. I keep my eyes shut, pretending that I'm asleep. With a bit more effort, I begin to recognize the voices.

"So, let me this right: she remembers everything up until the point of when she fell into Tartarus?" Will Solace's voice was deeper than usual and I realize that it had taken on a somber tone. It was with a heavy heart that I acknowledge that he'd seen the worst of the battle and in some instances, the death of his friends. I start to wonder how many demigods we had lost in the battle when Annabeth's voice pipes up.

"I'd say that's correct."

"Hmmm." Will notes and I hear him scribbling on a notepad furiously. "I think she has anterograde amnesia."

 **"** When someone can't remember new information. Things that happened recently, information that should be stored into short-term memory disappear. However, a patient with anterograde amnesia can remember data and events which happened before the injury." Annabeth's dictionary word vomit was something I was going to miss after she left to travel with the Hunt. "That's usually caused by brain trauma-brain damage from a blow to the head, for example. But you assessed her when she first came in, right? You said there were no head injuries."

"No visible ones. After all, it's been two weeks since then and maybe there was a slight blow; a leak that's internal."

"Two weeks?!" I shoot up straight, the movement making me nauseous. Screw eavesdropping, I wanted some answers. "I've been out for two whole weeks?"

Both blondes look at each other before answering simultaneously. "Yes."

"Tell me everything, right now." I demand, feeling electricity spark my fingertips.

"Thalia, you need to recover first. We have to withhold information from you until we know you can handle it." Will Solace's voice is calm as he speaks but his eyes dart nervously to Annabeth.

"Okay, if that's how it's going to be then," I swing my legs around the cot, getting up.

"W-where are you going?" Annabeth stutters, her eyes wide with panic.

"Going to find someone who will tell me what's going on." I answer, noticing how the camp half blood t shirt I was wearing drooped over my shoulders and the athletic shorts I donned didn't quite fit me. In the pocket of my shorts, I feel a circular object-my mace canister which doubled as a shield. My bracelet is still on my right wrist while my camp beads hang loosely around my neck. I reach up to touch the seashell Percy gave me and its cool touch washes over me.

Will maneuvers around so that he is blocking the door. "I can't let you go. This is for your own good."

"Get out of my way, Will." I wasn't messing around. Not when it came to Percy.

When the son of Apollo shakes his head defiantly, my blood begins to boil. Heat spreads down my neck and without thinking, I flick my wrist and the winds throw him clear across the room. The motion sends his clip board flying and it crashed into a window, shattering glass. Will lands a few feet away from the object, a crumpled heap in the corner.

"Thalia!" I feel Annabeth's arms come up around my waist, pinning my arms down. "Stop it!"

"Tell me what happened!"

"I can't!" She insists which sent me off the rails. I wrench myself out of her vice grip and objects began flying across the room, the air charged with electricity. A whitish light outlines my body and my hair blows away from my face.

"I'm not going to ask you again, Annabeth. What. the. hell. happ-" Mid sentence, the door is flown open and just as I turn around, a sharp pain bursts in my neck. I turn around just in time to see Will inject me with a syringe, his strong arms catching me as I fall backward, trying to fight off the drug.

Chiron's face is blurry in my fading vision. "Be careful what you wish for, my dear."

And then everything goes black.

* * *

As sleep took its hold over me, my mind manages to catch onto one memory that I had almost forgotten entirely. I start to dream about something that happened last October, back when Percy and I had this sort of frenemy relationship, emphasis on the enemy part...

 _Percy and I glared at each from opposite corners of my cabin porch. Well, I was doing most of the glaring and he was doing most of the smirking._

 _"I can sit here all night," he said, leaning against the railing as if he truly planned on camping out here. I thought of the day he'd invited me to the lake. When provoked, the boy could be as determined as he was annoying. "You want to get ice cream, I'm coming with you."_

 _The camp van car keys dug into my palm. "I don't want you to go with me."_

 _"I. Don't. Care."_

 _For a second, I entertained myself with visions of flying across the porch and slashing him with my keys—not that I would do that to his beautiful face, though—like a ninja._

 _He ran a hand through his hair, knocking it off his forehead. "The only other option is for me to have Annabeth get you some."_

 _"She'd eat it all before she even got back here!"_

 _His lips twitched. "Now, that's very true. Then I guess you're going to take your happy little butt," he gestured at my front door with one hand, "back into your cabin, where there is no ice cream, no chocolate syrup, and worst of all-no rainbow sprinkles."_

 _I sighed, wishing that Camp wasn't so hell bent on being healthy. I really wanted ice cream after nearly breaking an arm after a training session with Percy. Moreover, I couldn't spend a minute longer with the son of Poseidon and Kronos. I had exhausted my acceptable Percy-limit for one day._

 _"Or sprinkles the color of the rainbow," he continued evilly. "Or those cool little spoons they give you at this creamery shop in town."_

 _Taking a deep breath, I folded my arms. "You're so evil."_

 _"Oh! And there's definitely no soft serve in the mess hall. Or ice cream cones. Or ice cream in general."_

 _I groaned, fighting the urge to bang my head off the side of the cabin. "Gods, I hate you sometimes."_

 _Percy flashed those pearly white teeth. "No, you don't."_

 _Instead of arguing with him, I stalked forward. "Come on. Let's go."_

 _"Finally. You see reason."_

 _Before I could respond or do anything, he snatched the keys from my hand._

 _"Hey!" I yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"_

 _Percy was already beside the camp van, opening the driver's door. I hated it when he pulled that super-speed crap. He sent me an innocent look. "Sorry. I do not trust my life in your driving hands."_

 _I rolled my eyes as I stomped toward the passenger side._

 _"Fine. Drive. Whatever."_

 _He chuckled, and my skin pricked with irritation and… and I didn't know what else was there. Amusement? Yes. No one got to me like Percy. One moment he had me ready to go atomic on him and the next I was feeling all sorts of things that didn't make sense._

 _But he was helping me get my powers back. Even though I was now the child of the prophecy-a role he wanted so that he could take down Kronos._

 _Deep down, Percy could be a decent guy when he wanted to be._

 _We argued the whole way into town: over the radio station, the speed limit, if the brakes needed replacing, and why I should get a license instead of driving around illegally. When we finally arrived at the Mom and Pop style creamery, Percy got out of the car first, hitting the automatic locks before I could open the door._

 _"Argh!" I slapped the unlock button and threw the door open. "Asshole!"_

 _Casting a sly grin over his shoulder, he opened the door for me. "Ladies first."_

 _Weary, I inched forward, half expecting him to let it shut in my face, but when he didn't, I muttered, "Thank you."_

 _His deep chuckle sent a shiver over my skin. "You sound so sincere," he said, slipping around me."So, what are you in the mood for?"_

 _There was a sudden image of him pressed against me, his hand on the bare skin of my stomach. My chest warmed._

 _Percy leaned in and murmured, "Ice cream, Sweetheart. I'm talking about ice cream."_

 _"I know." I shoved him, but it was like trying to move a mountain. He didn't go anywhere, and I gave up when he dropped his arm over my shoulders._

 _He steered me away from the cluster of small booths and toward the glass case that bore the sign ICE CREAM FOR ANY SEASON. The moment I saw the buckets of creamy goodness, my stomach rumbled._

 _There were so many options. Mostly a lot of fall themed flavors—pumpkin, pumpkin spice (My favorite drink), apple butter (ew), pecan pie, and so on. Percy ordered a combination of fall flavors that made my stomach turn, and I settled on a bowl of chocolate and vanilla. Of course, I had the girl behind the counter dump syrup by the truck load and make it rain with sprinkles._

 _Taking our bowls to a booth by the back window, we sat. There was only two other people in the diner, and if it wasn't for the oldies station playing on a radio, the silence would've been unbearable._

 _It was already pretty damn awkward._

 _I dug into my ice cream like I hadn't eaten in two weeks. I wasn't a big ice cream eater, but man, when I had a craving for it, it was bad. And this was perfect. The syrup was like a little chocolate lake in my bowl._

 _Glancing up, I found Percy watching me with hooded eyes. "What?"_

 _He shrugged on shoulder._

 _I felt heat creep across my cheeks. "Are you watching me eat?"_

 _"Yes." He popped a huge mound of ice cream in his mouth._

 _"That's not creepy or anything." Self-conscious, I spun the spoon through the goop. "Can you watch someone else?"_

 _"I like watching you." One side of his lips tipped up. "I don't want to watch someone else."_

 _My stupid heart toppled over like that statement was a declaration of love. "Do you always do what you want?"_

 _He coughed out a laugh. "Not quite, Sweetheart. And besides, there's hardly anyone else in here. I think the other lady is like eighty-five. You're better to look at."_

 _"Geez. Thanks."_

 _"You're welcome."_

 _I rolled my eyes. Silence fell between us, and I struggled to find something to talk about. "So um, I think my powers are coming back now."_

 _"Good, I figured it was some sort of withdrawal."_

 _"All this training stuff, you're really good at it." I complimented, stunned those words came out of my mouth. Must've been the ice cream talking._

 _A sharp brow was raised and I expected a sarcastic response from him but he was silent. "I had to teach myself how to use my powers so I guess I know what it's like to be the pupil if you will."_

 _It took me a moment to understand what he meant and I felt my chest tightened._

 _I bit down on my lip as I toyed with the spoon, no longer hungry. I didn't know much about the guy but Annabeth had told me he had made an alliance with the gods when he was twelve. That meant for twelve years, he was by himself-trying to make sense of his powers and where they came from. I didn't have much guidance at that age either but I had Luke and Annabeth which was more than he had._

 _But Percy...he never had anyone._

 _"Sweetheart?"_

 _"What?"_

 _I looked up. Leaning forward, he reached across the tiny table, his hand shot out wicked fast and then his thumb was on my bottom lip, smoothing over it gently. I sucked in a sharp breath and my stomach hollowed. What was he doing?_

 _Our gazes locked._

 _I ordered myself to move back or knock his hand away, but my body just flat out refused to listen to common sense. Instead my body started thinking of what it would feel like to wake up next to Percy everyday, with his hands on me, how his weight would be a delicious, heady new experience, and how in that moment, nothing would matter except him and me._

 _Percy smirked._

 _Heat swamped my cheeks. Sometimes I wondered if he really could read minds and was just lying about it._

 _His fingers lingered along my chin for a few seconds too long and then he leaned back, picking up his spoon. "You had ice cream on your lip."_

 _"Oh."_

 _His lashes swept down, shielding the brilliant gold gaze. "Okay. I lied."_

 _I blinked. "About what?"_

 _"The ice cream."_

 _Staring at him, I tilted my head to the side. "You were lying about ice cream being on my lip?"_

 _Percy nodded._

 _"Why?" My lower lip tingled pleasantly._

 _"Why not?"_

 _I shook my head. "You make no sense."_

 _"It makes perfect sense." He dropped the spoon in his empty bowl and then sat back against booth. The smirk slipped into a frown, puckering the skin between his brows. "Your lips are soft."_

 _"I…" I had no idea what to say to that. How he said it didn't make it sound like a compliment, like it was somehow my fault that my lips were soft. "What? You prefer them to be chapped and rough?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Okay, whatever." I pushed my half-finished bowl back. My lip was still tingling. "I'm ready to go home."_

 _Those ridiculous, envy-inducing lashes swept up, and I was caught in the intensity of those luminous eyes. Air leaked out from between my lips like one of those silly girls in movies._

 _Who was I kidding? Percy turned every member of the opposite sex into one of those silly girls. Aaaand my damn lip was still tingling._

 _He opened his mouth, but then he snapped it shut. A muscle popped in his jaw. "Let's go."_

 _Having no idea what prompted his mood swing, I went to grab my trash, but Percy beat me to it, sweeping both our bowls up. I followed him outside, thinking this was going to one hell of an awkward ride back home._

 _Out of habit, I started toward the driver's side, but remembered that Percy had commandeered by car keys and apparently thought I was death behind the wheel._

 _Percy stopped and turned. "What are you—?"_

 _Unprepared, I bounced off Percy's ridiculously hard chest so hard I stumbled and his arm snaked out, catching me around the waist. My hands went up, landing on his chest to steady myself. Feeling like an idiot, my gaze rose to his._

 _Everything froze._

 _Or at least, we did. I don't even think Percy breathed. We were so close almost every part of our bodies touched. Warmth cascaded from the top of my head down to the tips of my toes._

 _His hand slid off my hip, up my back to where it stopped just below the edges of my hair, leaving a humming path in its wake. When he lowered his head and his lips brushed over my ear, I may've lost the ability to breathe._

 _"You need to be more careful, Sweetheart."_

 _I felt myself nod._

 _Percy didn't let go. His hand balled into the back of my shirt, catching the edges of my hair. A shuddered rolled through him—or maybe it was me? I didn't know. The sense of anticipation and acute yearning warped things. His chin brushed over my cheek, and for a moment I thought… I don't know what I thought. And it didn't matter, because he let go and pivoted around. It felt like he was still there, though, with his arm around me and his lips dangerously close. It was a sensation I knew would linger, just like the confusing feelings he drew out of me every time we were around each other._

 _He leaned in close, knocking the wind out of me. I think I frowned in my sleep-this wasn't part of the memory._

 _"Wake up." He told me. "Wake up."_

* * *

"Wake up." A voice tells me softly-not just any, Chiron's.

I turn over on my side, eyes still closed as I realize I was sleeping on a bed. Not just any bed-mine. I could tell just by touch because the left side of the bed had a bit of dent in it-that was Percy's side.

My eyes flutter open to drink in the sight before me. The red vinyl player on my desk and the green day posters confirms that this is my cabin. I look to the right of me-Nico and Tyson are sitting in chairs, peering up at me. Annabeth and Grover are sitting on chairs to the left of me, waving at me. Chiron is sitting at the foot of my bed, inhaling slowly as I start to sit up.

"You feeling okay, Thalia?" The daughter of Athena's eyebrows are furrowed in concern.

I feel a sharp metallic taste in my mouth and find myself nodding slowly. "Yeah, I'm good. How long was I out?"

"Just a day. It's almost afternoon now." Nico responds.

I look to the centaur and the blonde apologetically. "Look, guys, I'm sorry about what went down. I just wanted to know where Percy-"

"It's alright, my dear. We all understand." Chiron works on his next words carefully. "I've given you a bit of a memory potion to jog your memories back. Do you think you could tell us what happened after you fell into Tartarus?"

That explained the weird taste in my mouth.

"Tell me about Percy first." My memory was back in full force now and I was confident I could go on to tell the story.

"That depends on what you say, Thalia. We only have an idea of where he might be-we think you know." Grover tells me.

"So he's not here." My tone was flat-I already knew he wasn't here, he would've been right by my side when I woke up two days ago.

"Yes." Tyson says sadly.

Taking a deep breath, I wasn't sure how this story ended but my friends were right-I had to know something. "Might want to clear your schedule's-this might take all day."

"Lucky for you, we have all day." Grover leans back, settling in. "Walk us through it. Moment by moment. Word for word. Start with falling into Tartarus."

I take another breath before I start, launching into my tale. "Okay. Tartarus."

* * *

I was on fire again. Worse than when I got sick from the time when the fates had bonded me to Percy. The cells in my body bounced around as if they were trying to claw their way through my skin. Maybe they were. It felt like I was splayed wide open. There was a wetness gathering on my cheeks.

They were tears, I realized slowly.

Tears of pain and anger—a fury so potent it tasted like blood in the back of my throat. Or maybe it really was blood. Maybe I was drowning in my own blood.

My memories after the doors had sealed shut were hazy. Percy's parting words haunted every waking moment. I love you, Thalia. Always have. Always will. There had been a hissing sound as the doors closed, and I'd been left alone with the monsters.

I think they tried to eat me.

Everything had gone black, and I'd woken up in this world where it hurt to breathe. Remembering his voice, his words, soothed some of the torment. But then I remembered Luke's parting smile as he betrayed us and the battle and my anger flared. I'd been captured, and I didn't know if Percy had made it out along with the rest of them.

I didn't know anything.

Forcing my eyes open, I blinked at the harsh lights shining down on me. For a moment, I couldn't see around their bright glow. Everything had an aura. But finally it cleared, and I saw a white ceiling behind the lights.

"Good. You're awake."

In spite of the pulsating burning sensation, my body locked up at the sound of the unfamiliar male voice. I tried to look toward the source, but pain shot down my body, curling my toes. I couldn't move my neck, my arms, or my legs.

Icy horror drenched my veins. Restrictive cuffs and rope were around my neck, my wrists, my ankles, holding me down. Panic erupted, seizing the air in my lungs. IA shudder of revulsion and fear rocked through me.

The sound of footsteps neared, and a face, cocked sideways, came into view, blocking the light. It was an older man, maybe in his late forties, with jet black hair sprinkled with gray buzzed close to the scalp. He wore a well fitting, black suit and tie. Even in my pain-clouded mind and confusion, I knew this guy was important.

"How are you feeling?" he asked in a level voice.

I blinked slowly, wondering if this man was being serious. "Everything…everything hurts," I croaked.

"It's the bands, but I think you know that." He motioned to something or someone behind him. "We had to take certain precautions when we transported you."

Transported me? My heart rate kicked up as I stared at him. Where in the hell was I? Was this Tartarus?

"My name is Prometheus. I'm going to release you so we can talk and you can be looked over. Do you see the dark dots in the ceiling?" he asked. My gaze followed his, and then I saw the almost invisible blotches. "It's a magical border. No way out, your powers will do little to help you.

Good to know.

"I wouldn't try anything," he continued, his dark gray eyes focused on mine again. "If you even think of attacking any member of my staff, keep in mind that we know the extent of your abilities and are prepared to put you down if necessary."

Right now I didn't think I'd be able to sit up without assistance, let alone go ninja on anyone.

"Do you understand?" His chin lifted as he waited. "We don't want to hurt you, but we will neutralize you if you pose a threat. Do you understand, Thalia?"

I didn't want to answer, but I also wanted out of the bands. "Yes."

"Good." He smiled, but it was practiced and not very friendly. "We don't want you to be in pain. That is a direct order from Lord Kronos. You may not believe this right now, but we hope you will come to understand what we are about. Kronos wants you to know the truth behind who we are and who the gods really are."

So Kronos had rescued me from the pit of Tartarus. The reasoning Prometheus gave seemed off-Kronos had to have had some ulterior motive. He always did."Kind of hard to…believe right now."

Prometheus seemed to take that for what it was worth, and then he reached down somewhere under the cold table. There was a loud click, and the bands lifted on their own, sliding off my neck and ankles.

Letting out a shaky breath, I slowly lifted my trembling arm. Entire parts of my body felt either numb or hypersensitive.

He placed a hand on my arm, and my hand instinctively shot up to defend myself.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said slowly. "I'm just going to help you sit up."

Given that I didn't have much control over my shaking limbs, I wasn't in any condition to protest. The man had me upright in a few seconds. I clutched the edges of the table to keep myself steady as I took in several breaths. My head hung from my neck like a wet noodle, and my hair slid over my shoulders, shielding the room for a moment.

"You'll probably be a little dizzy. That should pass."

When I lifted my head, I saw a short, balding man dressed in a white lab coat standing by a door that was such a shiny black it reflected the room. He held a paper cup in his hand and what looked like a manual pressure cuff in the other.

* * *

"Prometheus..." Chiron mulls over the titan's name repeatedly. "Out of all the titans, he's the most level headed one as he is gifted with the gift of premonition. He allied with the gods in the first Titanomachy because he foresaw the titan's demise. If he's siding with Kronos for the upcoming war, he must believe the titans will win."

"Are his premonitions always right?" Nico asks. "Does that mean that the gods are going to lose?"

"Not necessarily. His clairvoyance isn't stronger than a prophecy and we have the Great prophecy."

Chiron's response puts me at ease and I start to think about how to pick up the story again.

"So there was a man with a cup and cuff," Annabeth sits back in her chair, threading her fingers together. "What happened after?"

"Things got...weird."

The hunter tilts her head gingerly. "Tell us about weird."

So I do.

* * *

Slowly, my eyes traveled over the room. It reminded me of a weird doctor's office, outfitted with tiny tables with instruments on them, cabinets, and black hoses hooked to the wall.

When motioned forward by Prometheus, the man in the lab coat approached the table and carefully held the cup to my mouth. I drank greedily. The coolness soothed the rawness in my throat, but I drank too fast and ended up with a coughing fit that was both loud and painful.

"I'm Paean, one of the physicians at the base." He put the cup aside and reached into his jacket, pulling out a stethoscope. "I'm just going to listen to your heart, okay? And then I'm going to take your blood pressure."

I jumped a little when he pressed the cold chest piece against my skin. "Paean..." I mulled over his name, trying to remember where I had heard it from. "Aren't you the physician of the gods? What are you doing siding with the titans?"

"You're a quick one, daughter of Zeus." There was a playful glint in his eyes as he pulled the stethoscope away. "As for your question, I used to be. Then the gods got stronger and no longer needed me. I go where my help is needed-no matter whether they are the so called "bad" or "good" side."

As I drank in his words, he placed the object on my back. "Take a nice deep breath." When I did, he repeated his instructions. "Good. Extend your arm out."

I did and immediately noticed the red welt circling my wrist. There was another above my other hand. Swallowing hard, I looked away, seconds from slipping into full freak-out mode, especially when my eyes met Prometheus'. They weren't hostile yet, but the eyes belonged to a stranger. I was utterly alone—with strangers who knew who I was and had captured me for a purpose.

My blood pressure had to be through the roof, because my pulse was pounding, and the tightening in my chest couldn't be a good thing. As the pressure cuff squeezed down, I inhaled several deep breaths, then asked, "Where am I?"

Prometheus clasped his hands behind his back. "You're in California."

I stared at him, and the walls—all white with the exception of those shiny black dots—crowded in. "California? That's…that's clear across the country. A different time zone."

Silence.

Wait a second. "We're in Mount Othrys, aren't we? The HQ of the titans."

A period of silence followed before Prometheus nodded. I sucked in a sharp breath-mount Othrys worked similar to Olympus. It moved wherever the titans were and during the first Olympian war, it was located in Greece. Now, it was in San Francisco, California on top of a mountain the mortal named mount tamplais, or mount tam for short.

The physician released the cuff. "Her blood pressure is a little high, but that's expected. I would like to do a more intensive examination."

Visions of probes and all kinds of nasty things lit up my brain. I slid off the table quickly, backing away from the men, on legs that barely held my weight. "No. You can't do this. You can't." Pressing my palms against my forehead, I squeezed my eyes shut. "This isn't right."

"What did you think would happen?" Prometheus asked.

"Did you really think you would just walk out of the Labyrinth, run back to your little camp, and everything would be fine? That there'd be no consequences for such actions?" He bent down in front of me. "Now you've seen the error of your ways. You are fortunate that Kronos has decided to spare you-he isn't known for his mercy."

Coldness radiated over my body. We were only trying to help our camp, but Kronos...he was always one step ahead.

I stared up at the man. "What happened to…to the others?"

"They've escaped."

Relief coursed through me. At least Percy wasn't locked up somewhere. That gave me some sort of comfort.

"We only needed to catch one of you, to be honest. Anyone of you would've sufficed but Lord Kronos is content that we have you specifically. He's sure that his son will be drawn out now that we have you." He paused. "Right now, Percy Jackson has disappeared off our radar, but we imagine it won't stay that way for long."

"Kronos doesn't need him anymore. He's taken over Luke already."

The titan blinked. "Lord Kronos is...having some issues with his current host. Percy was born for this purpose, my dear. Two immortal parents-that gives him even more strength than just any halfblood to sustain a possession. He'll come around eventually and when he does, you should brace yourself. You're going to need strength for what's to come."

His last sentence rang an alarm in my head. Pan had said to me and looking back on it, I thought that it had to do with my present situation-the whole falling into Tartarus, being saved/captured by Kronos. But now I wasn't so sure. "What do you mean? Percy would never join Kronos...he'd rather die."

Prometheus attempted a small smile and I recoiled away from him, just because he seemed more level headed than most people in Kronos' camp, didn't mean that he wasn't just as evil. "I am aware that you, Percy, and others encountered Atlas last December. Did Percy ever mention a pull to Mount Tam? Did he seem to know where it was even with the heavy mist?"

I nodded. Percy had remarked a geographically pull but nothing more.

"Didn't feel anything odd, at all?"

I shook my head.

"His comfortability here is quite telling-it means his titan side is progressing. He must've already experienced some of the side effects-losing control of his body and doing things he doesn't remember. Waking up to dead animals that he killed unknowingly..." A shadow fell over half of his face. "Maybe even a human body. But of course, our problematic Luke helped restrain his titan side and now we're back to square one. Nonetheless, a premonition has informed me that Percy is out of the dosage and it should be gone from his system."

"So why hasn't it taken him over yet?"

"He's strong. A little _too_ strong."

If if weren't for the pickle I was in, I would've smiled. That was the stubborn Seaweed Brain I knew.

"We have strong reason to believe you are the reason for this...delay. If we eliminate you from the equation, his titan side will be able to overwhelm him."

I had to stifle a tremble as my mind raced back to last December-a conversation I had with a certain goddess struck out to me in that moment. _His fatal flaw is passion and you happen to be the object of his affection and therefore, the one he is the most passionate for._ The truth hit me instantaneously.

If Percy, no, _when_ Percy came to rescue me he would have to make a choice. Join Kronos in exchange for my freedom. Or Kronos would kill me.

At this point, I knew what he would he choose because if the roles were reversed, I'd choose the former. That meant that I had to get out myself of here and fast-before Percy could even make a plan to rescue me. Despite the misfortune that had befallen me in the past twenty four hours, I had the ball in my court. Percy would undoubtedly start his search in the underworld-he wouldn't wait for some prophecy to be administered. He'd have to book a flight to California and he'd get here in a few hours tops. But he'd be looking in Los Angeles and I was in San Francisco. That give me some time but not much. There was still too many unknown factors to consider-what if Kronos contacted him? What if the Titan wanted him to meet us in a dark alley way and we'd do some sort of hostage exchange?

I almost face palmed myself. That didn't seem like his style. I was sure Kronos would wait for Percy to find him-the cat and the mouse kind of thinking. He'd wait for Percy and when he came, Kronos would pounce.

But he was going to have to get through me first.

I wasn't sure what my expression looked like then but Prometheus sighed, "I know you're afraid and angry."

"Yeah, I'm feeling both of those things strongly. No thanks to you." I shot back.

"That is understandable. We are not as bad as you think we are, Thalia." He stood, clasping his hands again. "You will see we are not the enemy here."

Not the enemy? They were the enemy—a greater threat than a whole flock of monsters—because they had been trying to destroy the Olympians for eons now. The titans sent out hordes of monsters after half bloods and terrorized us. The worst part about it all is that they were cowards, sending monsters out to do their dirty work while they sat back and watched.

As the situation really sank in, my tenacious grip on keeping it together slipped, and then completely fell away. Stark terror whipped through me, turning into panic, creating an ugly mess of emotions powered by adrenaline. Instinct took over and I lashed out.

* * *

"Hold up," Annabeth interrupts, adjusting the zipper on her parka. A part of me wonders why she hasn't left yet. The hunters were probably here-they joined us in the battle. Maybe they were hanging around because Annabeth stayed around to make sure I was okay. "They let you have your weapons?"

Absentmindedly, I touch my bracelet and shake my head. "No, I didn't even realize I didn't have them until that moment."

"So how did you get them back?" Tyson asks.

I heave in a deep breath, all the pieces coming together in full. I know the end of this story and hopefully, telling this story would give me some answers about the ending. "I'll get to that at the end. Fair warning, you guys, this story is about to get...graphic."

"Graphic? Does someone die?" Nico gasps.

"Yes, and I..." I trail off, guilt racking my insides. I take one more breath and ignore the guilt, trying to push through with the story.

Soaking wet and chilled to the bone, I pulled myself off the floor. I had no idea how much time had passed since the last blast of icy water had knocked me flat on my back. I had kind of caused a commotion using my powers and yes, I had to resort to my powers because unbeknownst to me, they had taken my weapons. Unfortunately for me, electricity combined with water wasn't treating too well.

Giving in and letting them do what they wanted hadn't seemed like an option in the beginning. At first the pain was worth it, because I'd be damned if I was going to make this easy for them. Once the shock was over and I could move again, I rushed the door. I wasn't making any progress, and by the fourth cycle of being doused with water and then drowned, I was done.

I was really, truly done.

Once I was able to stand without collapsing, I shuffled toward the cold table in slow, achy steps. I was sure the electric shocks had shorted out my brain.

Prometheus had come and gone during the whole process, replaced by men in army fatigues. The berets they wore hid most of their faces, but from what I could see, they didn't seem much older than me, maybe in their early twenties-all rogue half bloods.

Two of them were in the room now, both with pistols strapped to their thighs. Part of me was surprised they hadn't broken out the tranqs, but then again. I was spent. The one wearing a dark green beret stood near the controls, watching me, one hand on his pistol and the other on the button of pain. The other, face hidden by a khaki beret, guarded the door.

I placed my hands on the table. Through the wet ropes of my soaked hair, my fingers looked too white and pasty. I was cold and shivering so badly I wondered if I was actually experiencing a seizure. "I'm…I'm done," I rasped out.

A muscle popped on Khaki Beret's face.

I tried to lift myself onto the table, because I knew if I didn't sit, I was going to fall, but the deep tremor in my muscles caused me to wobble to the side. The room whirled for a second. There just might be some permanent damage. I almost laughed, because what good would I be to Kronos if they killed me?

Paean had remained the whole time, sitting in the corner of the room, looking weary, but now he stood, pressure cuff in hand. "Help her onto the table."

Khaki Beret came toward me, determination locking his jaw. I backpedaled in a feeble attempt to put some distance between us. My heart pounded insanely fast. I didn't want him touching me. I didn't want any of them touching me.

Legs shaking, I took another step back, and my muscles just stopped working. I hit the floor hard on my butt, but I was so numb, the pain really didn't register.

Khaki Beret stared down at me, and from my vantage point, I could see his entire face. He had the most startling brown eyes, and while he looked like he was so over this routine, there seemed to be some level of compassion to his stare. I felt like I knew him but that was probably unlikely.

Without saying a word, he bent down and scooped me up. He smelled of fresh detergent and something else I couldn't place my finger on. Before I could put up a fight, which would've been pointless, he deposited me on the table. When he backed away, I gripped the edges of the table, feeling like a caged animal.

Another cup of water was given to me, which I accepted. The immortal physician sighed loudly. "Is fighting this out of your system now?"

I dropped the paper cup on the table and forced my tongue to move. It felt swollen and difficult to control. "I don't want to be here."

"Of course you don't." He placed the chest piece under my shirt, like he had done before. "No one in this room, or even in this building, expects that from you, but fighting us, is only going to hurt you in the end. Now breathe in deeply."

I breathed in, but the air got stuck. The line of white cabinets across the room blurred. I was feeling nauseous.

The doctor went through the motions, checking my breathing and blood pressure before he spoke again. "Thalia—may I call you Thalia?"

A short, hoarse laugh escaped me. So polite. "Sure."

He smiled as he placed the pressure cuff on the table and then stepped back, folding his arms. "I need to do a full exam, Thalia. I promise it will not hurt. It will be like any other physical exam you've had before."

Fear balled in my core. I folded my arms around my waist, shivering. "I don't want that."

"We can postpone it for a little bit, but it must be done." Turning, he walked over to one of the cabinets and retrieved a dark brown blanket. Returning to the table, he draped it over my bent shoulders. "Once you regain your strength, we're going to move you to your quarters. There you will be able to wash up and get into fresh, clean clothes. There's also a TV if you want to watch, or you can rest. It's pretty late, and you have a big day tomorrow."

I held the blanket close, shaking. He made it sound like I was at a five star hotel. What the hell? "Big day tomorrow?"

He nodded. "There is a lot we need to show you. Hopefully, then you'll understand what the titans are truly about."

I fought the urge to laugh again. "I know what you guys are about. I know what—"

"You know only what you've been told," the doctor interrupted. "And what you do know is only half true." He cocked his head to the side. "I know you might be thinking of Paul and Sally. You don't know the whole story behind them."

I wasn't but my eyes narrowed, and the answering rush of anger warmed my insides. How dare he mention them? "I know enough."

Paean glanced at Green Beret by the controls, and then he nodded. Green Beret quietly exited the room, leaving the doctor and Khaki Beret behind. "Thalia—"

"I know you basically tortured them," I cut in, growing more furious by the second. "I know you brought Paul in here to heal Luke when he was in the process of becoming a host, and when that was over, you left him to rot in the Labyrinth. I know you kept them away from each other. You're worse than evil."

"You don't know the whole story," he repeated evenly, completely unfazed by my accusations. He looked at Khaki Beret. "Charles, you were here when Sally and Paul were brought in?"

I turned to Charles whose name was ringing in my head but I didn't know a Charles. He nodded. "When the subjects were brought in, both were understandably difficult to deal with, but after we had to separate them-Kronos' orders. We left Paul in the maze so that he could find his way out but he stayed, hoping that Sally would come back. He had a chance to leave."

I shook my head as I pulled the blanket closer. I wanted to yell at them at the top of my lungs. "You guys could've made sure he got out safely. Even if you had to force him out."

"I don't think you understand," the doctor shook his head. "We couldn't just release him like we did Sally. He would've told the mortal world about our existence."

"And? It's not like anybody would've believed him."

"And if someone did? Then not only would the titans would be exposed and consequently, the gods." Paean's statement resonated within me and I quieted as he continued. "Of course, we aren't afraid of humans but it's better to keep things...under wraps. Sally, however, we released because she already knew about everything-gods, titans, monsters, etc. She knew what was at stake."

Knots formed in my belly. Could I even believe anything these people were telling me? "Why did Kronos release her?"

"To draw out Percy. He knew Sally would want to come after Paul and as you know, Percy wasn't going to let her search for Paul without him. Kronos made a deal with Greyon, knowing that you and your companions would come across his ranch. Unfortunately, that fell through but no matter, eventually you all found your way to Daedalus' workshop and Kronos had you right where he wanted you."

"But the deal was between Luke and Daedalus. In exchange for one of Daedalus' automatons, Luke would somehow protect him against Minos or something. I'm not entirely sure what Luke promised him."

"Your assumption is correct, Thalia. Luke did promise to get rid of Minos but as it turned out, he betrayed Daedalus and tried to kidnap you and your friends."

"I'm still not seeing how Kronos had any control over this situation..." I started before pausing. Then it dawned on me. Kronos was always one step ahead. _Always._ "Unless he knew what Luke was doing the entire time."

Charles nodded, confirming my belief.

"Luke was a fool for trying to blindside the titan lord. And look where he ended up and you...you still ended up exactly where Kronos wanted you." Paean said it in a sympathetic way, there was no judgement in his eyes. "You may not necessarily agree with what he has planned but no matter what you, your friends, or the gods do...Kronos will always be one step ahead. He has a plan and he aims to see it through."

I was at war with myself-I wanted to lash out in anger because I thought that we had the upper hand for once. But I was frustrated because Kronos had manipulated us the entire time. "He wants to use Percy as his host and destroy the Olympians- _my_ family. I can't let him go through with his plans."

The physician smiled sadly. "My sweet child, the gods have lived for eons-too long, in my opinion. It is time for a change of power. As for Perseus, I know you feel strongly for him but at the end of the day, he can't escape Kronos. He was chosen for this role."

I shut my eyes briefly before opening them again. "You are all monsters. Every single one of you."

"Charles, please escort Thalia to her quarters. We'll do the full exam tomorrow." Paean's voice sounded restrained as if he were borderline angry. Angry because I wouldn't understand the destruction Kronos had planned.

As Charles pried the blanket away from me and gently cupped my elbow to lead me away, I made up my mind: I had to get out of here by myself because if Percy came to rescue me...he would be doomed.

* * *

I was amazed that with all the reeling my brain was doing, I was even able to do something normal like change into fresh clothes—a pair of black jogging pants and a gray cotton shirt. The clothing fit on a disturbing level, even the undergarments.

Like they knew I'd be coming.

Like they had snooped around in my undie drawer and got my size.

I wanted to hurl.

Instead of dwelling on that, which would most definitely lead to me flipping out and getting a face full of electricity and icy water again, I focused on my cell. Oh, excuse me. My quarters, as Charles reminded me.

It was about the size of a hotel room, a good three hundred square feet or so. Tile covered the floors, cold under my bare feet. I had no idea where my shoes were. There was a double bed tucked up against the wall, a tiny end table beside it, a dresser, and a TV mounted on the wall at the foot of the bed. In the ceiling were the fearsome wires of electricity but there were no water hoses in the room.

And there was a door across from the bed.

Padding to it, I placed the tips of my fingers on the door and cautiously pushed it open, half expecting a monster to be in there.

There wasn't.

Inside was a small bathroom with another door at the end. It was just an empty closet with some racks.

I wheeled around and went back into the bedroom.

The trip to my cell hadn't been scenic. We'd walked straight out of the room I'd woken up in and into an elevator that had opened straight across from where I was now. I hadn't really even gotten a chance to look down the hallway to see how many rooms there were like the one I was in now.

I bet there were a lot.

Having no idea what time it was, if it were night or day, I shuffled over to the bed and pulled down the brown blanket. I sat and pressed my back against the wall, tucking my legs against my chest. I tugged the blanket to my chin and sat facing the door.

I was tired—weary to my very core. My eyes were heavy, and my body ached from the effort to sit up, but the idea of falling asleep scared the ever-loving crap out of me. What if someone came into the room while I slept? That was a very real concern. The door locked from the outside, meaning I was completely at their whim.

To keep myself from dozing off, I focused on the one thousand questions circling in my head. How long were they planning to keep me here? Screw that, I wasn't going to wait for them to release me, how was I going to get out? My weapons had been confiscated, how was I going to get another weapon? Where was the exit?

With no answers to any of those questions, I finally let my mind go where it wanted, where I'd been desperately trying to prevent it from going.

Percy.

My eyes fell shut as I exhaled. I didn't even have to try to see him. His face pieced together perfectly.

His broad cheekbones, lips that were full and almost always expressive, and those eyes—those beautiful gold eyes that were like honey, abnormally bright and a stunning amber color. I knew my memory really didn't do him justice. He had this masculine beauty I'd never seen before in real life.

Percy Jackson could be as prickly as a hedgehog having a really bad day, but underneath all that spindly armor, he was sweet, protective, and incredibly selfless. He'd dedicated most of his life to keeping his friends and his mom safe, continually facing danger with little thought to his own safety. I was in constant awe of him. Though it hadn't always been like that.

A tear dripped down my cheek unbidden.

Resting my chin against my knees, I swiped at the wetness. I prayed that he was okay—as okay as he could be. That his half brothers-Chiron and Tyson were keeping a tight leash on him. That they wouldn't let him do what I knew he wanted to: the same thing I'd do if the situation were flipped.

Although I wanted him—needed him—to hold me, this was the last place I wanted him to be. The very last place.

Heart aching, I tried thinking about the good things—better things—but the memories weren't enough. There was a strong chance I might never see him again.

The tears slipped out of my tightly squeezed eyes.

Crying solved nothing, but it was hard to hold it in when exhaustion dogged me. I kept my eyes closed, slowly counting until the knot of messy, raw emotions climbed back down my throat.

The next thing I knew, I jolted awake, my heart pounding and mouth dry. I hadn't remembered falling asleep, but I must've. A weird tingle moved over my skin as I dragged in a deep breath. Did I have a nightmare? I couldn't remember, but something felt off. Disoriented, I threw the blanket back and looked around the dark cell.

Every muscle in my body seized as my eyes picked out a darker, thicker shadow in the corner by the door. Tiny hairs on my body rose. Air halted in my lungs, and fear sunk its icy claws into my stomach, freezing me in place.

I wasn't alone.

The shadow pulled away from the wall, moving forward quickly. My first instinct screamed monsters, and I reached blindly for my braclet, realizing too late I didn't have it anymore.

"You're had a nightmare," the shadow said.

At the sound of the familiar voice, fear gave way to rage so potent that it tasted like battery acid. I was on my feet before I knew it.

"Luke," I spat. Or Kronos, a small voice reminded me.

My brain clicked off and something a hell of a lot more primitive and aggressive took over. I felt the horrible, sinking sense of betrayal. Swinging out, my fist connected with what felt like Luke's cheekbone. It wasn't a just any hit, either. Every bit of anger and pent-up hatred I felt toward him was packed into that punch.

He let out a startled groan as white-hot pain danced across my hand. "Thalia—"

"You bastard!" I swung again, my knuckles slamming into his jaw this time.

He let out another grunt of pain as he staggered back. "Baby Zeus."

I spun, grabbing for a tiny lamp beside the bed, and without warning, the overhead light came on. I wasn't sure how it did. The sudden glare caught me off guard, and Luke took advantage.

He sprang forward, forcing me to back away from the lamp. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned. I caught a glimpse of his eyes-a bright blue, he was himself. For now.

"Go screw yourself." I swung at him again.

He caught my fist and twisted. Sharp pain shot up my arm, and I let out a surprised gasp. He spun me around, and I kicked out. Letting go of my arm, he narrowly avoided the thrust of my knee. "This is ridiculous," he said, eyes narrowed. Anger churned the sapphire flecks.

"You betrayed us."

Luke sort of shrugged, and, well, I sort of lost my shit again.

I launched myself at him like some kind of ninja—a really lame ninja, because he easily dodged my attack. My left leg banged into the bed, and the very next second, he slammed into my back. Air punched out of my lungs as I toppled forward, hitting the bed on my side, bouncing it against the wall.

His knees went down on the mattress as he grabbed hold of my shoulders, rolling me onto my back. I slapped at his arms, and he let out a curse. Rearing up, I swung at him once more.

"Stop it," he growled, grabbing my wrist. The next moment he had hold of my other one. Stretching my arms above my head, he leaned over me, bringing his face within inches of mine, and spoke low. "Stop it, Thalia. There are cameras everywhere. You can't see them, but they are there. They are watching right now. How do you think the lights just came on? It's not magic, and they will flood this whole room with electricity and water. I don't know about you, but I don't find that very appealing."

I struggled to push him off, and he shifted his weight so that his knees pressed into my legs, trapping them. Panic was a slow crawl inside me, causing my pulse to jump. I didn't like his weight on me. Nausea rose swiftly, and the panic grew. "Get off me!"

"I don't know. You're likely to hit me again."

"I will!" I bucked my hips, but he didn't move, and my heart was racing so fast, I was sure I was going to have a heart attack.

Luke gave me a little shake. "You need to calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Okay? You can trust me."

Eyes wide, I let out a strangled laugh. "Trust you? Are you insane? You're literally Kronos!"

"You really don't have a choice." His blond hair fell over his forehead. Usually it was meticulously styled, but it looked like he'd run out of hair gel today.

I wanted to hit him again, and I strained against his hold, getting nowhere. "I'm going to break your face!"

"Understandable." He pushed down, eyes narrowing. "I know we don't have the most stable relationship—"

"We don't have any relationship. We have nothing!" Breathing heavily, I willed my muscles to stop trembling. Several moments passed as he stared down at me, nostrils flared and mouth set in a hard, grim line. I wanted to look away, but to do so was a weakness, and that was the worst thing I could show. "I hate you." It seemed pointless to say that, but it made me feel better.

He flinched, and when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "I hated lying to you, but I had no choice. Whatever I would've told you, you would've told Percy and the others. And I couldn't let that happen. Neither could Daedalus. But we aren't the bad guys here."

I shook my head, dumbfounded and pissed beyond belief. "You are the bad guys! You set us up! From the very beginning. It was all leading to this. How could you?"

"I had to."

"And how'd that turn out for you, huh? You still ended up the host." Tears of anger swelled in my eyes because I had no control over my life now, partly thanks to him, and I struggled to keep my voice level.

Luke didn't say anything for a long moment. "And it's killing me, Thalia. He's only letting me talk to you because I practically begged him. I don't want any more blood spilled-I don't want you to die but if you try anything, he will kill you. And I won't be able to stop him."

"Like you care." I spat out, anger washing over me like a tidal wave.

"Thalia, you need to cooperate with us. If not for your sake, then for Percy's." My breath stalled as he said his name and I guess he assumed that he had caught my attention so he continued. "It's a simple exchange, really. We will hand you over safe and sound in exchange for him. No one has to get hurt."

"And you won't be the host anymore," I chuckled, not believing what he was telling me. "So at the end of the day, you get what you want. Kronos will get what he wants. And I'd have to fight Kronos, in Percy's body."

When the son of Hermes didn't respond, I shook my head. "You're a coward, Luke Castellan. Always have been, always will be. You signed up for this and now you won't go through with it. You're selfish. You're disgrace to half bloods."

A flecks of gold flashed through his eyes and I had definitely stirred the other guy. Luke's lip were in a tight line as if he were having an inner argument with himself, or Kronos. At this point, who knew?

"She's not ready for tomorrow." He whispered quietly. There it was-the mention of the big day tomorrow. They weren't going to kill me-Luke knew that if they killed me, Percy would be dead also which would nullify Kronos' plans. Torture? I shivered-gods, I hope not.

Another moment of silence passed before Luke rolled off of me and headed toward the door. He gave me one last glance before leaving, the door smacking on its hinges as he did so.

"Son. Of. A. Bitch." I hissed. I wanted to claw his eyes out.

Less than a minute later, another figure entered my room.

"Get the hell away from me, Luke." I said without looking up. "I don't want to hear whatever you have to say."

"Relax, Thalia. It's just me."

My head snapped up to meet chocolate brown eyes. "Charles?"

"You don't recognize me, do you?" He asked. When I shook my head, he stepped into the light and took of his beret. "How about now?"

I gasp, cursing myself for recognizing him sooner. "Beckendorf? What the hell-you work for Kronos?" My fist were already balled, ready to wail on him. I wasn't going to tolerate another traitor. "How could you do this us? To Silena, oh my gods, does she even kno-"

"Shh," He gestured to the bathroom. "I can't say anything here, let's talk in the bathroom. There's no cameras there."

Wary, I slowly rose and walked over to the bathroom, keeping a healthy distance between us. If it came to it, I could take him. All two hundred pounds of him.

"Look, I'm a spy. Sort of." He closed the door behind him, sealing us in the enclosed space. "There's an actual spy at camp who reports to Kronos. Whoever this person is they are the one who let Luke in the camp a few weeks ago. They also must've helped Luke poison your tree last summer. Chiron sent me undercover to find this spy-we were hoping that Kronos would have the two of us paired together to infiltrate the camp but so far, I still don't know who the other spy is."

"So you're on our side?"

"Yes but you can't let on that you know me, I'm still undercover."

"I won't say a word." I exhaled deeply, relieved that I had someone on my side. "Look, I've to get out of here. I'm not asking you to help me because I don't want to blow your cover but I just need to know an exit. I can take it from there."

"Actually, that's why I'm here." Beckendorf straightened his spine proudly. "I've got a message from Percy."

* * *

"How did Percy know about Beckendorf? Did you tell him, Chiron?" Annabeth's voice broke me out of my narration. My eyes narrowed on the centaur who seemed deep in though.

He runs a hand through his hair before answering. "I'm not sure, my dear. I certainly didn't tell him and swore Beckendorf not to tell anyone as well. Alas, Percy does have a way of finding out things he shouldn't."

"Amen to that." I mutter. "Beckendorf didn't tell me how Percy knew about him. Maybe Percy caught him sneaking back and forth and convinced him to send a message to me."

When no one says anything, I speak up again. "What about you guys? What happened on your end?"

"What do you mean?" Nico asks.

"I mean, after you guys got out of the labyrinth-where did Percy go?"

The four of them looked at each other carefully before Chiron nods to Annabeth. Okay, that wasn't weird.

"We can't tell you much, Thalia. And before you protest, it's only because we...we want to reserve our judgment for later. Once we've heard the full story."

I open my mouth to ask more questions but Annabeth shakes her head so I let her continue. "We'll explain everything that happened on our end after you've finished. What we can tell you is that after the labyrinth, the boys made it out. Percy was unconscious."

"I had to knock him out," Tyson says apologetically. "He wanted to go back to save you and I didn't know what else to do."

I nod and motion for the daughter of Athena to continue.

"Nico told Chiron and me what had happened to you so we figured it was best to keep him locked up while we came up with a plan."

I was tempted to scoff. Did they not know Percy? Nothing could stop him, much less a locked room. "And how'd that work out?"

Annabeth grimaces. "It didn't. He was...livid. He kept saying that we wasted time and that you could've been dead. It was a rough talk but we agreed that we would look for you after we had gotten the camp situated-we were all in pretty bad shape after the battle. He seemed to agree but I woke up the next day, checked in his cabin, and he was gone."

"Yeah, that's Percy for ya." I prop a pillow behind my back to support myself. "I guess after he left he must've come into contact with Beckendorf."

"Right." Annabeth concurs.

"So the message," Nico clears his throat. "What was it?"

"Stay alive."

* * *

"Stay alive?" I blinked a few times to make sure I heard him correctly.

"Word for word, that's what he said." Beckendorf reaffirmed. "Is it a code word or...?"

"No, I'm pretty sure he wants me to stay alive." I shook my head; I wasn't going to meddle with this. It was pretty straightforward and similar to what Percy would say. Which could only mean one thing..."Does he plan to come get me?"

"Yeah, I gave him a map and everything. So far, I've only spoken to him through IM so he's probably getting a flight here. He should be here in about two days time. All you have to do is stay alive and I just need to find a window of time when he can come get you and you can both get out safely. Easy peasy, lemon squeasy."

I sat down on the edge of the bathtub, trying to get my heart to stop beating so fast. "Doesn't he know that this is a trap? Kronos is just waiting for him to come rescue me and then he'll use Percy as a host. He can't come. I can get out of here on my own. I have to."

"I told him that and he, go figure, doesn't care." Beckendorf bent down to face me. He smiled softly. "I know you're worried but the both of you will get out together. He's got a fool proof plan."

That was slightly reassuring. "I still think it's best if I escape on my own-"

"Thalia. He'll be here before you can even find an exit. Just focus on what he said to do."

"Okay, but I want to meet him at the exit. I don't want him anywhere near mount tam."

"I'll see what I can do." Beckendorf tapped my knee before drawing to his full height.

"How...how is he?" I asked quietly.

"He's been better." The son of Hephaestus answered. "Still a sarcastic piece of shit if that's what you're asking."

"I wouldn't have him any other way." A moment of silence lingered before I spoke again. "Does Silena know about the James Bond thing?"

Beckendorf chuckled. "No, it's just me and Chiron who knew. She'd probably have a heart attack if I told her. Anyway, I should go. Been here too long."

I nodded and stood up. "Thank you. I won't blow your cover. No matter what."

"I know." Beckendorf had a hand on the bathroom door then he turned to look at me. "I know that Percy's message seemed obvious but he was serious. If you really think about it he could've sent any message-I love you or I'm coming to get you but he didn't. It must mean something."

A shiver ran over me as I realized he was right. "Tell Percy that I will follow his instruction as long as he meets me at the exit. If I can meet him in town that'd be best. If he tries to sell you that protective bs, don't take it. If he doesn't agree then I'm not leaving."

Beckendorf eyes were like saucers. "You're insane-you'd really rather stay here?"

"If Percy steps even a foot inside, Kronos will take him. I won't have his life at risk because of me."

"Okay, fine, I'll tell him." And with that, the son of Hephaestus slipped out the bathroom. When I walked back into the room, he was gone. With a sigh, I fell back onto my bed and closed my eyes. All I had to do was survive until Percy came.

Little did I know that would be harder than I had anticipated.

* * *

The next day I was greeted with a hearty dose of water.

" .hell!" I spluttered, shooting straight up. I growled as Luke held a hose in his hands, smirking. His eyes were still blue which was a good sign. Sort of.

"What is wrong with you?" I got up and started towards him but he held up the hose again.

"Take one more step towards me and I'll spray it."

I unclenched my fists and sighed. Pick your battles wisely, Thalia. "I need to get dry clothes on."

"I'll wait."

I stared at him. "You're not staying in here while I get dressed."

He glared in annoyance. "Get changed in the bathroom. Close the door. Your virtue is safe from me." And then he winked. "Unless you want that to change, and I'm so down for that. It does get boring around here."

* * *

The moment Luke and I stepped out of my quarters, two military guys surrounded us. One of them was Beckendorf. Seeing his familiar face was reassuring. He and the other guy were heavily armed.

They ushered Luke and me toward the elevator, and I craned my neck, trying to see around them to get a grasp on my surroundings. There were several doors like mine, and it looked just like the corridor at Mount Weather. A heavy hand landed on the small of my back, startling me.

It was Beckendorf.

He sent me a look I couldn't decipher, and then I was in the elevator, squeezed between him and Luke. I couldn't even lift my hand to brush away the damp, cold hair that clung to the back of my neck without knocking into them.

Beckendorf leaned forward, pushing a button I couldn't see because of his mammoth body. I frowned, realizing I didn't even know how many floors this place had.

As if he were reading my mind, Luke looked down at me. "We're underground right now. Most of the base is, with the exception of the two upper levels. You're on the seventh floor. Floor seven and six are housing for…well, visitors."

I wondered why he was even telling me this. The layout had to be important information. It was like…like he trusted me with the knowledge, like he wanted me to find a way out. "You mean prisoners?"

Beckendorf stiffened beside me.

Luke ignored that. "Unwilling guests is what I like to call them."

"So why aren't I on those levels? Am I not a prisoner?"

"You're not a prisoner, Thalia." Luke snapped and my brows shot up. I think he got the hint to cool it because he ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, trying to regain his composure. "You're a hostage and when Percy comes to his sense,s you won't be a hostage anymore."

"Right." I scoffed, done with this guy. I still couldn't get over the fact that we were underground. I hated the idea of being underground. It was too much like being dead and buried.

I wiggled my way out from between them, stepping back as I dragged in a deep breath. Luke eyed me curiously, but it was Beckendorf who planted a hand on my shoulder, guiding me forward so I wasn't behind them, like I was going to ninja-stab them in their backs with my invisible knife.

The elevator came to a stop, and the doors slid open. Immediately I caught the scent of food—fresh bread and cooked meat. My stomach roared to life, grumbling like a troll.

Beckendorf's brow went up.

Luke laughed.

My cheeks flamed. Good to know my sense of pride and embarrassment was still intact.

"When was the last time you ate?" Beckendorf asked.

I hesitated. "I…I don't remember."

He frowned, and I looked away as we stepped out into the wide, brightly lit hallway. I honestly had no idea what day it was or how many days I had been out of it. Up until when I smelled food, I hadn't even been hungry.

"You're meeting with Paean," Luke said, starting toward the left.

"She's going to get something to eat first," Beckendorf said.

Luke protested. "The doctor is waiting. So is—"

"They can wait a couple more minutes so the girl can eat something."

"Whatever." Luke lifted his hand in a way that said, It's your problem, not mine. "I'll let him know."

Beckendorf steered me toward the right. Only then did I realize the other military guy had gone with Luke. For a second, everything spun as we started forward. He walked like Percy, taking long, quick strides. I struggled to keep up while trying to absorb every detail of where I was. Which wasn't much. Everything was white and lit by bright track lighting. Identical doors lined both sides of the endless hallway. The low hum of conversation behind closed doors was barely discernible.

The scent of food grew stronger, and then we came upon double glass doors. He opened them with his free hand. I felt like I was being escorted into the principal's office instead of into the rather normal-looking cafeteria.

Clean square tables were spaced in three rows. Most of the ones up front were occupied. Beckendorf led me to the first vacant table and set me down into a seat.

"Brb," he winked, then spun on his heel.

Nodding, I watched him walk toward the front where a short line of people was waiting.

Men and women in lab coats and monsters milled around, none of them giving me more than a cursory glance as they passed by. I sat uncomfortably straight, wondering how commonplace it was for them to see a kidnapped teenager scared out of her mind. Beckendorf returned with a plate of eggs and bacon in one hand and a little carton of milk in the other. He sat them down in front of me wordlessly, then produced a plastic fork.

I stared at the plate as he sat across from me. A lump formed in my throat as I reached out slowly, my hand hovering over the fork.

"Maybe you shouldn't talk to Luke like that, don't forget he's also Kronos."

Amusement was evident in his eyes. "The titans work in a...hierarchy if you will. Because of his indiscretion, Luke's kind of at the bottom now. No one is going to take him seriously until he reaches the top again. He screwed up really badly when he tried to get that automaton, Thalia."

"Why is he himself? You know, isn't Kronos supposed to inhabit the host at all times? I haven't seen his gold eyes."

"Kronos is still in there, he just has been choosing to keep mum. He's letting everything fall on Luke-battle plans, seeking out allies, dealing with the other titans. It's his way of punishment." Beckendorf's explanation made sense.

"So Luke doesn't have any control when Kronos comes out to play?"

"Nada." The boy confirmed.

My shoulders dropped and I had to look up to prevent myself from crying. This information only made the stakes that much higher. Up until this point I kinda assumed that even if Kronos used Percy as a host, somehow he'd be able to fight back and reclaim his body. This news dashed all my hopes.

"It's okay," Beckendorf said. "The food's not poisoned."

"No, I wasn't worried about that but thanks." I started on my eggs and dropped my voice to a whisper. "So have you talked to Percy?"

"He was pissed when I told him about your exit plan but he agreed to it. He's on his way."

"When's go time?"

Beckendorf hesitated before jerking his head to a camera in the corner. "The less you know, the better. Can't have our friends picking up on this conversation."

"Okay." I said, returning to my food.

The food tasted like sawdust in my mouth, and my jaw ached from the chewing, but I cleared the plate, figuring I needed the energy.

When I finished, the plate and utensil were left behind on the table. Beckendorf's hand was on my shoulder again. Our trip back was silent and the hall a bit more crowded. We stopped outside a closed room. Without knocking, he opened the door.

Another medical room.

White walls. Cabinets. Trays with medical instruments. A table with…stirrups.

I backpedaled, shaking my head. My heart pounded crazy fast as my gaze bounced from Paean to Luke, who was sitting in a plastic chair. The other guy who'd gone with Luke earlier was nowhere to be found.

Beckendorf's hand tightened, and before I could get completely out the door, he stopped me. "Don't," he said softly, loud enough for only me to hear. "No one wants a repeat of yesterday."

My head jerked toward him, and my eyes locked with his brown ones. "I don't want to do this."

He didn't blink. "Remember Percy's message."

Tears rushed my eyes as his words sunk in. I glanced at the doctor, then at Luke. The latter looked away, a muscle popping in his jaw. The hopelessness of it all hit me. Up until that moment, I don't know what I was really thinking. That I still had some say in what was going to happen around me and to me.

Paean cleared his throat. "How are you feeling today, Thalia?"

I wanted to laugh, but my voice came out a croak. "What do you think?"

"It'll get easier." He stepped to the side, motioning me toward the table. "Especially once we get this done."

Pressure clamped down on my chest, and my hands opened and closed at my sides. I'd never had a panic attack before, but I was pretty sure I was seconds away from one. "I don't want him in the room." The words came out quick and raspy.

Luke glanced around and then stood, rolling his eyes. "I'll wait outside."

I wanted to kick him as he strolled by, but Beckendorf was still there. I turned to him, my eyes feeling like they were bulging out of my head.

"Don't worry," he said, moving to stand in front of the door. He clasped his hands. "I'm not leaving."

I wanted to cry. There would be no fighting back. The room, like the hallway and cafeteria, had shiny walls. No doubt it was the mixture of electricity and water.

The doctor handed me one of those god-awful hospital gowns, then pointed toward a curtain. "You can get changed behind there."

In a numb haze, I headed behind the curtain. My fingers fumbled over my clothing and then the gown. Stepping out from behind the curtain, my body was hot and cold, legs weak as I walked forward. Everything was too bright, and my arms shook as I hoisted myself onto the padded table. I clutched the little ties on the gown, unable to look up.

"I'm going to take some blood first," the doctor said.

Everything that happened next I was either hyperaware of or completely detached from. The sharpness of the needle as it slid into my vein, I felt all the way to my toes, then the slight tug of a tube being replaced atop the needle. The doctor was talking to me, but I didn't really hear him.

When it was all done, and I was in my clothes again, I sat on the table, staring down at the white sneakers he had given me. They were my size—a perfect match. My chest rose and fell in deep, slow breaths.

I was numb.

Paean explained that blood work would be done. He told me I wasn't pregnant, which was something I already knew; I almost laughed at that but felt too sick, really, to do anything other than breathe.

After that was all said and done, Beckendorf stepped forward and led me out of the room. He'd said nothing the entire time. "Fair warning, Thalia: I have no idea what's going to happen to you from here on out. I've only been given instructions on where to take you."

"Right, whatever happens don't help out. Okay? We can't blow your cover."

Beckendorf opted for a nod and took me to an office.

Luke was leaning against the wall outside the office, his eyes sliding open when the door shut behind us. "Finally. We're running late."

"What's going on?" I asked, hating how my voice broke halfway through the question.

Luke's expression was blank, while Beckendorf took up his position as sentry by the door.

"We need to see the extent of your abilities," Prometheus appeared out of nowhere, moving to stand behind the two men. "Inside of this controlled room, you'll be able to use your powers. We know that since you are a child of one of the big three, you are more powerful than most. We need to some stats on your control and endurance."

My heart skipped. "What purpose does this serve? Why do you need to know? I'm obviously a powerful halfblood."

"We know that but we're on a deadline, my dear. Percy was supposed to be the host for Kronos years ago-the titan lord himself came to pick him up from the orphanage but he had escaped. Percy has been elusive these past few years and we need data to facilitate his transition into the host."

I frowned. "I don't get it. Why do you want me—"

"You and Percy are both powerful halfbloods. If we can gage your ability, Percy's will also be similar. Once the exchange is made, we want Percy ready to host Kronos immediately. We won't have to time test on him but since you're here..."

As his words sank in and made sense, I wanted to run from the room, but I was rooted to the floor. "If I get hurt, Percy will get hurt."

"Good." The titan remarked which surprised me. "It will motivate him to come fetch you sooner. Of course, we won't kill you."

When I didn't respond, the titan continued. "We know that the Fates have bonded you two together. We've been doing some research and although we don't understand completely..." He paused, clearing his throat. "The connection is voided out if there's an...instability."

"Instability?" I echoed before shaking my head. "My friend told me there was no way the connection could be broken."

He nodded. "And she was correct, to some extent. I won't say more than that but just know that we are testing the connection as well."

My eyes narrowed. "Don't you think I have a right to know?"

"All in good time," he replied. "Now is just not the time."

"I think it's a damn good time."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, further angering me.

"What?" I said, throwing up my hands. Beckendorf stepped closer to me, but I ignored him. "I think I have a right to know everything."

His surprise faded, replaced with a cool expression. "This is not the time."

I held my ground, hands curling into fists. "I don't see there being any better time."

"Thalia…" Beckendorf's soft warning was ignored, and he moved closer, his chest almost against my back.

"No. I want to know what can break the link. Obviously something can. I also want to know how long you really think you can keep me here." Once the lid came off my mouth, there was no shutting it. "You've stolen my life and think that I should just stand here and take it? That I shouldn't demand answers? You know what? You can kiss my ass."

Whatever warmth had been in Prometheus's expression seeped away. He stared back at me, and in that moment, I realized I probably should've kept my mouth shut. I had needed to say those words, but the hard look he gave me was frightening.

"I don't tolerate foul language. And I don't tolerate smart-mouthed little girls who don't understand what is going on. We have tried to make this as comfortable as we can for you, but we all have limits, Miss Grace. You will not question me or any of my staff. We will let you know things when we feel it's the appropriate time and not before. Do you understand?"

I could feel every breath Beckendorf took, and it seemed like he stopped, waiting for me. "Yes," I spat. "I understand."

Beckendorf took a breath.

"Good," the man said. "Since that's now settled, let's move on."

One of the men at the monitors pressed a button and a small door opened to the training room. Beckendorf didn't let me go until I was inside the room. Then he did.

I spun around as he backed toward the door, my eyes going wide. I started to ask him not to leave me, but he looked away quickly. And then he was gone, closing the door behind him.

Heart pounding, I darted my eyes around the room. It was about twenty feet by twenty, with a cement floor and another door on the opposite side, and the walls weren't padded. Nope. I wouldn't get that lucky. The walls were white with scuffs of red. Was that…dried blood?

Oh gods.

But that fear trickled away as awareness kicked in. The rush of power was tiny at first, a rush that felt like tips of fingers were trailing down my arms, but it grew quickly, spreading to my core.

It was like taking a breath of fresh air for the first time. Numbness and exhaustion eked away, replaced with a low buzz of energy that was in the back of my skull, thrumming through my veins and filling the coldness in my soul.

My eyes fluttered shut, and I saw Percy in my head. Not because I could really see him, but because feeling this reminded me of him. As my power wrapped its way around me, I imagined being in Percy's embrace.

An intercom clicked on overhead, and Prometheus's voice filled the room, causing my head to jerk up. "We need to test your ability, Thalia."

I didn't want to talk to the ass-hat, but I wanted to get this over with more. "Okay. So you want me to use my powers or what?"

"You will do that, but we need your ability tested under stress."

"Under stress?" I whispered, glancing around the room. Unease unfurled in my belly, spreading like a noxious weed, threatening to choke me. "I'm feeling pretty stressed right now."

The intercom clicked on again. "That's not the kind of stress we're talking about."

Before his words had a chance to sink in, there was a loud thumping noise that reverberated through the small room. I whipped around.

Across from me, the other door was sliding open, inch by inch. The first thing I noticed was a pair of black sweatpants like the pair I had on, and then a white shirt covering narrow hips. My gaze crawled up, and I let out a surprised gasp.

Standing before me was a camper. It felt like a lifetime ago, but I recognized her immediately. Her brown hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, revealing a pretty face offset by bruises and scratches.

"Katie," I said, taking a step forward.

The daughter of Demeter stared back at me. I wondered how she got here but deep down, I knew. She had been kidnapped, most likely from the battle. A heartbeat passed, I said her name again, and then it hit me with startling clarity. Her eyes were empty of all emotion.

My heart sank. I doubted there was anything I could do that would remind the girl of me.

She stepped into the room and waited. A moment later, the intercom buzzed and Prometheus's voice came through. "Katie will assist in the first round of the stress tests."

First round? There was more than one? "What is she—?"

Katie flung her hand out, and a branch swung in my direction. Shock held me immobile until the last possible moment. I darted to the side, but the branch smacked into my shoulder. Pain burst and rushed down my arm. The impact spun me around, and I barely kept my balance.

Confusion swirled as I clutched my shoulder, surprised to find the material singed. "What the hell?" I demanded. "Why—?"

Katie threw a pouch of greek fire and the blast sent me dropping to my knees as it whizzed by right where I'd been standing. It hit the wall behind me, fizzling out. In the blink of an eye, Katie was right in front of me. I started to stand, but her knee came up, catching me in the chin and snapping my head back. Starbursts blinded me as I fell back on my butt, stunned.

Reaching down, Katie grabbed ahold of my ponytail and lifted me to my feet with surprising ease. Her hand swung out, the blow catching me right below the eye. That burst of pain caused my ears to ring, and it did something else.

It knocked the stupor right out of me.

Suddenly I understood this stress test, and it sickened and horrified me. The titans had to have known that I knew Katie. That seeing her here, would not only knock me off guard but would confirm the futility of fighting against them.

But they did want me to fight—they wanted me to fight Katie, using my powers. Because what else, other than getting your ass handed to you on a silver platter, would cause such major stress?

Another punch caught me right under the eye. She put a hell of a lot of oomph behind it. A metallic taste sprang into my mouth as I called on my power, just like Prometheus wanted.

But I would have to hold back because if I didn't, I'd kill Katie.

As the ass-kicking of a lifetime picked up, I now knew what Percy's message meant. Stay alive was not just stating the obvious, he wanted me to do whatever it took to stay alive. And that meant defending myself even if it meant harming another person. Now I wasn't sure if I could follow Percy's instructions.

After the disastrous training session, I knew the taste of true fear each time someone neared my door. My heart hammered painfully until the sound of footsteps faded, and when the door finally opened, revealing Beckendorf with my evening meal, I almost vomited.

I had no appetite.

I couldn't sleep that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, all I could picture was Katie standing before me, more than ready to kick my ass every which way from Sunday. The vast emptiness that had clouded her eyes had quickly blossomed into determination. My beating may not have been as severe if I had fought back, but I hadn't. Fighting her would have been wrong.

When the door opened the following morning, I was only running on a few hours of sleep. It was Beckendorf and he motioned me to follow him.

Sick to my stomach, I had no other choice but to go wherever he was leading me. The nausea grew as we rode the elevator to the floor that housed the training rooms. It took everything in me to step off the elevator and not grab onto one of the bars for dear life.

"Is Percy on his way?"

"I have no idea. I can't reach him anymore." He responded stopping at the training room. "I'm trying to reach him another way. Until then, you know what to do."

"Stay alive." I said, mentally preparing myself for the epic beat down.

* * *

Hours turned into days. Days possibly into weeks, but I really couldn't be sure. I understood now how Sally couldn't keep track of time. Everything blended here, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen the sun or the night sky. I wasn't served breakfast like I had the first day I'd been awake, which threw off the time of day for me, and the only way I knew when a full forty-eight hours had passed was when I was taken to Paean for blood work. I'd seen him around five times, maybe more.

I'd lost count.

I'd lost a lot of things. Or it felt that way. Weight. The ability to smile or laugh. Tears. The only thing I retained was anger, and each time I squared off with Katie or another halfblood I didn't know—didn't even care to get to know because of what we had to do—my anger and frustration went up a notch. It surprised me that I could still feel so I hadn't given in yet. I hadn't fought back during any of the stress tests. It was my only means of control.

I refused to fight them—to beat them up or potentially kill them if things got out of hand. It was like being in a real, albeit messed-up, version of The Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games for demigods.

I started to grin but winced as the motion pulled my torn lip. I might have refused to go all Terminator on them, but the other halfbloods were so on board. So much so that some of them talked while they kicked my ass. They told me that I needed to fight, that I needed to prepare for the day the titans would fight the gods.

Forcing my eyes open, I saw the same thing I always saw after being hauled out of the training rooms and deposited—mostly unconscious—in my quarters. The white ceiling.

I took a deep breath and cried out, immediately wishing I hadn't. Sharp pain radiated across my ribs from a Mo-size kick. My entire body throbbed. There wasn't one part of me that didn't ache.

Movement from the farthest corner of my room, by the door, drew my attention. Slowly and quite painfully, I turned my head.

Beckendorf stood there, bundling a cloth in his hand. "I was beginning to worry."

I cleared my throat and then opened my jaw, wincing. "Why?"

He came forward, the beret forever hiding his eyes. "You were out for a while this time, the longest yet."

I turned my head back to the ceiling. I hadn't realized that he was keeping track of my ass-kickings. He hadn't been here other times when I awoke. Neither had Luke. I hadn't seen that ass-hat in a while, and I wasn't sure he was even here anymore.

I drew in a slower, longer breath. As sad as it was, when I was awake, I missed the moments of oblivion. It wasn't always just a black, vast nothingness. Sometimes I dreamed of Percy, and when I was awake I clung to those faint images that seemed to blur and fade the minute I opened my eyes.

Beckendorf sat on the edge of the bed, and my eyes snapped open. The aching muscles tensed. Although he was on my side, the beatdowns made me wary and I trusted no one.

He held up the bundle. "It's just ice. Looks like you could use it."

I watched him warily. "I don't…I don't know what it looks like."

"It being your face?" he asked, palming the bundle. "It doesn't look pretty."

It didn't feel pretty. Ignoring the throbbing in my shoulder, I tried to pull my arm out from under the blanket. "I can do it."

"You don't look like you can lift a finger. Just stay still. And don't talk."

I wasn't sure if I should be offended by the whole don't talk part, but then he pressed the icy bundle against my cheek, causing me to suck in a sharp breath.

"They could have gotten Paean to heal you, but your refusing to fight back isn't going to make it easy on you." He pressed the ice bag down, and I drew back. "Try to keep that in mind when you go to the training room next time."

I started to scowl, but it hurt. "Oh. Like this is my fault."

He shook his head. "I didn't say that."

"Fighting them is wrong," I said after a few seconds. Or at least I hoped I wasn't. "Making them do that is…is inhumane. And I won't—"

"You promised Percy you would stay alive," he said simply. "You'd want to Percy to do the same if the roles were reversed."

"Percy has more control than me. He would know how to defend himself without killing anyone. He knows the extent of his abilities and I don't." I shook my head, my bottom lip quivering. "I don't want kill someone again. That's what happened to Chris and Lee."

"Hey," Beckendorf shook me. "Chris was already weak, the guy looked like he could've been killed simply by a burst of wind. Besides, he tried to kill you first. And Lee-he was an accident. You were defending yourself and you have to do that now or else you'll die."

I started to sit up, but faltered. "Katie doesn't even seem human anymore. None of them do. They're like robots."

"They're trained."

"T-Trained?" I sputtered as he moved the ice to my chin. "They're mindless—"

"It doesn't matter what they are. You keep doing this? Not fighting back, not giving Prometheus what he wants, you're going to keep being a human punching bag. And what does that solve? One of these days, one of the demigods will kill you." He lowered his voice, so low that I wondered if the microphones could even pick it up. "And what happens to Percy? He will die, Thalia."

Pressure clamped down on my chest and a whole different kind of pain surfaced. At once, I saw Percy in my head—that ever-present, infuriating smirk on his expressive face—and I missed him so badly a burning crawled up my throat. My hands curled under the blanket as a hole opened up in my chest.

Several minutes passed in silence, and while I lay there, staring at his brown-and-white-camouflaged shoulder, I searched for something to say, anything to drive the emptiness out of me, and I finally came up with something.

Beckendorf looked at his watch before cursing silently. "We're late; we have to go."

"Again? Beckendorf...I can't." My voice was hoarse and my body sore. I couldn't fight anymore.

"I'm sorry." He held his hand. "But you've got to stay alive, Thalia."

* * *

My legs ached as I trailed behind Beckendorf, limping my way to the training room. Who would I fight today? Katie? The guy with a Mohawk? Or would it be the girl with the really pretty red hair? It didn't matter. I'd be getting my butt kicked. The only thing I did know was that they wouldn't let any of the other demigods kill me. I was too valuable.

Beckendorf slowed his step, allowing me to gimp my way up to him. We stopped in front of the doors I'd come to loathe. Taking a deep breath, I stepped through when they opened. No point in delaying the inevitable.

Prometheus waited inside, dressed in the same suit he'd been wearing since the first time I saw him. I wondered if he had an endless supply of them. If not, he had to have one hell of a dry-cleaning bill.

These were the stupid things I thought of before I was pummeled into one giant bruise.

Prometheus gave me a once-over. From the brief glimpse of my reflection in the foggy mirror in the bathroom, I knew I looked like a hot mess. On the right side of my face, my cheek and eye were an ugly shade of purple and swollen. My lower lip was split. The rest of my body looked like a smorgasbord of bruises.

He shook his head and stepped aside, allowing Paean to check me over. The doctor took my blood pressure, listened to me breathe, and then shined a light in my eyes.

"She looks a little worse for wear," he said, tucking his stethoscope under his lab coat. "But she can participate in the stress test."

"It would be nice if she actually participated," grumbled one of the guys at the control panels. "And not just stand there."

I shot him a glare, but before I could tell him off, Prometheus cut in. "Today will be different," he said.

Folding my arms, I fixed my eyes on him. "No. It won't. I'm not fighting them."

His chin went up a notch. "Perhaps we've introduced you to the stress test incorrectly."

"Gee," I said, smiling inwardly at the way his eyes narrowed. "What part of this whole thing is incorrect?"

"We do not want you to fight to just fight, Thalia. We want to make sure we can measure the extent of your abilities. If you don't do this, Percy will have to. I can see that you are unwilling to hurt just another halfblood."

A tiny smidgen of hope flared inside me, like a fragile seedling poking through the ground. Maybe making a stand, accumulating all these bruises, had meant something. It was a small step that probably meant nothing to them but everything to me.

"But we must see your abilities under high stress." He motioned to the guys at the panels, and my hope crashed and burned. The door opened. "I think you will be more accepting of this test."

Oh God, I didn't want to walk through those doors, but I forced one foot in front of the other, refusing to show an ounce of weakness.

The door closed behind me, and I faced the other door, waiting while knots formed in my stomach. How in the world could they make this acceptable? There was nothing they could—

In that instant, the other door opened, and Ethan Namakura stepped through.

I choked out a dry, bitter laugh as he swaggered into the room, barely paying heed to the door closing behind him. Suddenly Prometheus' words about being more acceptable made sense. Ethan was the little bitch that rose Kronos and if it hadn't been for him, Kronos wouldn't have risen and I wouldn't be in this position.

Ethan's eyepatch shifted as he stopped in front of me. "You look like crap."

The simmering anger sparked. "And you're surprised? You know what they're doing in here."

He thrust his fingers through his hair as his eyes moved over my face. "Thalia, all you had to do was defend yourself. You're making this harder on yourself."

"I'm making this—?" I cut myself off as the anger heated up in me. A rush of power stirred in my belly, and I felt the tiny hairs on my body rise. "You're insane."

"Look at yourself." He waved a hand at me. "All you had to do was do what they asked, and you could've avoided all of this."

I stepped forward, glaring at him. "If you hadn't pledged your loyalty to Kronos, I would've avoided all of this in the first place."

"No." A look of sadness crept across his face. "You would've ended up here no matter what."

"I don't agree."

"You don't want to agree."

I sucked in a deep breath, but the anger was getting the better of me. Ethan moved to put his hand on my shoulder, but I knocked his arm away. "Don't touch me."

He stared at me a moment, and then his eyes narrowed. "Look, if you want to be mad at anyone, get mad at Percy. If he had just been the host from the start, this wouldn't be happening to me. He did this to you. Not me."

That did it.

All the pent-up anger and frustration whipped through me like a category-five hurricane. My brain clicked off, and I swung without thinking. My fist just grazed his jaw, but my power had reared its head at the same time. A bolt of light shot from my hand and spun him around.

He caught himself on the wall, letting out a surprised laugh. "Damn, Thalia. That hurt."

Energy crackled down my spine, fusing with my bones. "How dare you blame him for this? This isn't his fault!"

Ethan turned around and leaned against the wall. Blood trickled from his lip, and he wiped at it with the back of his hand. A strange gleam entered his eyes, and then he pushed off the wall. "This is completely his fault."

I flung my arm out and another bolt of energy shot forward, but he dodged it, laughing as he spun around, his arms out at his sides. "Is that the best you got?" he goaded me. "Come on. I promise I'll go easy on you, Sweetheart."

At the use of the pet name—Percy's pet name—I lost it. I darted to the side, ignoring the painful protest of my muscles. His arm came out in a wide sweep, and a knife was thrown in my direction. I spun at the last second, narrowly avoiding taking a direct hit.

Letting the rush of energy swell through me once more, I sent another blast arcing across the room, hitting him in the shoulder.

He stumbled back, hands dropping to his knees as he doubled over. "I think you can do better than that, Sweetheart." Fiery hot rage slipped over my eyes like a veil. Launching myself forward, I tackled him like an NFL linebacker on speed. We went down in a mess of tangled legs and arms. I landed on top of him, swinging my arm back and bringing it down repeatedly. I wasn't really seeing where I was hitting, only feeling the flare of pain across my knuckles as they connected with flesh.

Ethan shoved his arms between mine and swept them out, knocking me off balance. I teetered for a second, and then he raised his hips and rolled. I slammed onto my back, knocking the air out of my lungs. I aimed for his face, hell-bent on clawing his only good eye out.

He caught my wrists and pinned them above my head as he leaned down. A cut had opened under his eye patch on his left eye, and his cheek was starting to swell. A vicious amount of satisfaction rushed through me.

"Can I ask you a question?" Ethan grinned, turning the flecks of brown in his eyes brighter. "How does it feel to be in love with a murderous psychopath?"

Each breath I took I felt in every part of my body. My skin became hypersensitive to his weight and proximity. The power built inside, and the room seemed to be tinted in a brilliant sheen of white. Fury consumed me, riding every breath and latching onto every cell.

His grin spread. "Does he tell you about the times he assassinated people or —"

The power burst from me, and suddenly I was off the floor—we were off the floor—levitating several feet in the air. My hair streamed down behind me, and his hair fell forward into his eyes.

"Shit," Ethan whispered.

Flipping upward, I tore my wrists free from his grip and slammed my hands into his chest. Shock rippled across his pale face a second before he flew backward, crashing into the wall. The cement cracked, and a fissure spread out like a wicked spiderweb. The whole room seemed to shake with the impact as Ethan's head snapped back, and then he slumped forward. Part of me expected him to catch himself before he smacked into the floor, but he didn't. He hit the floor with a fleshy splat that knocked the anger right out of me.

As if I'd been held up by invisible strings that had now been cut, I landed on the balls of my feet and rocked forward a step.

"Ethan?" I croaked out.

He didn't move.

Oh no…

Arms shaking, I started to kneel down, but something dark and thick spread out from under his body. My gaze flicked up to the wall. A Ethan-size imprint was clearly visible, a form reaching through at least three feet of cement.

Oh gods, no…

Slowly, I looked down. Blood pooled out from under his motionless body and seeped across the gray cement floor, stretching toward my sneakers.

Stumbling back, I opened my mouth, but there was no sound. Ethan didn't move. He didn't roll over with a groan. He didn't move at all. And the visible skin on his hands and forearms was paling already, turning a ghastly shade of white that stood out with such stark contrast against the deep red of the blood.

Ethan was dead.

Oh my gods.

Time slowed and then sped up.

Ethan had it coming in more ways than one. And Ethan, even with all the terrible things he'd done, was a product of circumstance. He was only goading me. He was angry at the gods and Kronos took advantage of that.

My hand shook as I pressed it against my mouth. Everything I'd said to him came back in a rush. And in that tiny second when I'd caved to the fury—nothing in a span of millions—I had changed, become something I wasn't sure I could ever come back from. My chest rose rapidly at the same time my lungs compressed painfully.

The intercom clicked on, the initial buzz startling me in the dead silence. A round of applause deafened my ears.

Prometheus's voice filled the room, but I couldn't take my eyes off Luke's lifeless form. "Perfect," he said, awed. "You've passed this stress test. I've never seen anything like that in all my years. If that's what _you_ can do, imagine the destruction Percy could do."

It was too much—ending up here, so far away from camp and Percy and everything that I knew, then the exam and the subsequent showdowns with the demigods. And now this? It was too much.

Letting my head fall back, I opened my mouth to scream, but there was no sound. Nothing as Beckendorf entered and gently placed his hand on my shoulder, steering me out of the room. Prometheus said something, sounding very much like an approving father, and then I was taken out of the training room and into an office, where Paean waited to take more blood. He began to heal me. Minutes turned into hours, and still, I said nothing and felt nothing.

After the intensive healing was done, Beckendorf walked me back to my room silently. As soon as we walked in, I collapsed onto my bed. Feeling the best I ever had physically but mentally, I was destroyed.

"I'm so sorry, Thalia." The son of Hephaestus chocked out. "I had no idea."

I blinked fresh tears out of my eyes, willing myself to not break down yet. "Did you manage to get in contact with Percy?"

"He's in California right now, making his way to San Francisco. I need a find a window to get you out. When I do, I'll come get you and we'll meet him in the city. Nowhere near mount tam, like you asked."

I heaved a sigh, nodding.

"I don't think I should leave you alone, Thalia." Beckendorf's tone took one of concern.

"Thank you but you've done more than enough. Go." My voice was cold, disembodied.

The demigod looked like he wanted to protest but opted to turn around, closing the door behind him.

Instinctively, I curled into a ball, letting the pain enter my body because I deserved it. I was a murderer and I deserved this pain and more.

* * *

I was awoken at the slightest hint of human contact. A familiar musky scent invaded my senses and my eyes opened, greeted by the most stunning eyes I'd ever seen.

The hue in his gold eyes warmed and the son of Kronos smiled, flashing deep dimples. "Miss me, Sweetheart?"

A heartbeat passed, and then I rose up on my elbows. A single strand of hair fell across my face. Percy straightened, giving me more room. My heart rate kicked into supersonic speed, not believing my eyes. Before I even knew it, I was sitting up fully, my hands on his face.

He placed his hands over mine. "It's okay," He told me. "Everything's going to be okay, Sweetheart."

"How…how are you here?" I swallowed, my throat burning. "I don't understand."

"You're going to be mad." He pressed a kiss to my open palm, causing a shudder to roll through me. "But I had to come get you myself."

I jerked back, but he held onto my hands, restraining me. "Percy, what…? What were you thinking? If you get caught...But the things they're going to make you do…" The wetness in my eyes swelled, and a single tear escaped, racing down my cheek. "I don't want you to go through—"

Percy caught the tear with a kiss. "And I'm not going to let you go through any more pain. You're my—you're my everything, Thalia." My breathe stalled at his words and Percy continued. "Come on, Sweetheart, did you really expect anything less from me? I love you."

My hands fell to his shoulders, flexing until my fingers dug through the cotton of his shirt. Then I sprang forward, wrapping my arms around Percy's neck and practically tackling him.

Laughing against the top of my head, Percy caught himself before he toppled over. One second I was beside him, and then I was in his lap, wrapping my arms and legs around me.

"You're crazy," I whispered against his neck. "You're absolutely crazy, but I love you. I love you so much. I don't want you here, but I love you."

He slid a hand down my spine, curling his fingers against my lower back. "I'll never grow tired of hearing you say that."

I pressed against him, breathing heavily. "I missed you so much, Percy."

"You have no idea…" He trailed off, breathless.

I pulled back before bridging the distance, and kissed him. The kiss was half innocent, half desperate, and wholly perfect. I deepened the kiss, throwing every fear into it, every minute that had passed that we'd been separated, and everything I felt for him. Percy pulled me closer before pulling away to draw in a breath.

"We need to go-cameras. They'll know I was here." Percy said breathlessly.

"Okay." I let Percy take my hand and dared to hope for the first time in a long time. "Let's go home."

We had managed to get to the elevator safely, no one seemed interested in us and no alarms went off. Percy and I blended in-gray sweats and a black shirt. We looked like any average prisoner-or guest, as Prometheus would say. Percy hit a button that said "G" and the elevator doors closed.

My breath stalled as I noticed he was staring at me. There was something in his eyes; admiration and something else I couldn't detect shone in the them.

I didn't deserve that. After what I had done, I didn't deserve love. "Percy, I kil-"

"I know. I know everything." He interrupted, taking my hand. The warmth of his touch spread through me and we remained silent the whole way down. This was not the time to fall apart. We had to escape the titan's headquarters first.

Level G turned out to be a parking lot. It was dark out and the wind blew my hair out of my face. I hadn't been outside in...I couldn't remember.

Percy led us past a few cars before taking sharp left toward a sign labeled 'EXIT'. Just below the sign was a white food truck, I didn't recognize the driver because he was sunglasses but he nodded to Percy before popping opening the back.

We made our way to the back and to my surprise, the son of Hephaestus was there. "You said you'd be here in five. What the hell, dude?"

Percy grinned before throwing a sideways glance at me. "I um, got distracted."

"Sure you did." Beckendorf extended a hand to me and I grasped it, getting in the truck. Before I could extend my arm to Percy, heavy footsteps pounded against the pavement.

They found us.

Panic invaded my cells, causing the winds to pick up. "Percy, grab my hand!"

The car's engine started but it didn't move. Percy stared at my hand before he looked up, his amber eyes twisted in turmoil.

"What's happening, Percy?" I choked out, my eyes burning.

He gave me a watery smile and shook his head. "I got caught on my way here. I made the deal and I...I can't come with you, Thalia."

"No, no, no..." I stumbled out of the truck and into his arms as Prometheus and Luke appeared in my line of vision. They stood off the side, as still as statues. Luke's eyes were a pure gold and the smirk on his face belonged to none other than Kronos.

He had finally gotten what he wanted. He won and the war hadn't even started.

I think Percy knew they were there but wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I love you, Thalia Grace. More than anything in this godsforsaken world."

"Please don't leave me." I sobbed, clutching his shirt like I had the power to keep him here but his eyes told a different story. "Don't...don't do this to us."

Percy flinched and lifted my chin. "You've been through alot lately, the least I can do is take some of the pain away. Even if it's only temporary."

"Oh gods-" The words caught in my throat as Percy's eyes burned a bright gold. Images of the past week, maybe month flashed by and vanished before my eyes. My arrival at Mount Tam, the conversation with Luke, all my fights with Katie and the other demigods, and the most recent-Ethan's death. They all vanished before my eyes and when my sight refocused on Percy again, I could barely remember what he just did.

"Tik tok, Perseus." Kronos' voice was harsh and mocking, nothing like the owner of the body he now occupied. "It's almost time for dinner. I don't want to miss...what are we having again, Prometheus?"

"Baked Salmon and mashed potatoes, Sir."

"Excellent! Ah yes, but my dear son, you have one minute or else I will kill her."

My heart accelerated but Percy just looked down. "I'm sorry, Thalia. Tell Annabeth, Chiron, Grover, Tyson, Nico...everyone that I'm sorry."

When I didn't respond, he planted a kiss on my cheek then looked past my shoulder. "Take her away, Beckendorf."

When the demigod's strong hands tugged at my waist, I grabbed a fistful of Percy's shirt. "No, please! Don't leave me! Please!"

Beckendorf pulled against me but I just held on tighter. Percy hands enclosed on mine and his eyes were clouded over. I thought he was going to pull me into him and we'd face Kronos together.

I should've known better.

Instead, he pried my grip off of him and let Beckendorf pull me away. "Goodbye, Thalia."

I threw my head back and let out a deafening scream as the son of Hephaestus wrenched me away. I screamed as Percy slowly backed up to stand beside his titan father, his face a complete mask. He didn't belong there. He didn't belong in this place.

I kept screaming as Beckendorf closed the doors and the car sped away.

"You lied to me! You both lied to me!" I shoved against his chest and he made no move to restrain me.

"We had no choice." He said through gritted teeth.

""We have to go back for him!" I screamed, throwing punches at his chest.

The demigod barely flinched. "We can't."

That's when I snapped. I started wailing hit after hit on the son of Hephaestus and he stood there, barely budging. By the time I was done, my knuckles were red and sore. Defeated and desperate, I stumbled backwards and let myself slide down.

"I don't know how I'm going to live without him." I chocked out and that realization shattered me completely.

"You'll find a way. You always do."

This time I didn't think I would.

* * *

"The car took us to the LAX airport a few minutes later. Beckendorf couldn't come with me because he had to stay behind to keep his cover. Once I had calmed down, he gave me back my weapons and injected me with this sleeping drug. The green beret guy from the first time I had met Paean was there to accompany me. I was asleep as we flew from California to New York. He dropped me off at my tree and well, you know the rest from there." I bite my lower lip, still shaken from the last part of my story.

"So Percy temporarily took your memories which is why you didn't remember anything when you woke up. It wasn't amnesia." Annabeth says, breaking the silence that had settled over us.

I nod and look to Chiron for further explanation. "It seems like he hid your memories and only person could possibly take memories and that was a primordial. The ones who came before the gods; they are long gone now."

"So I've told you my story." I pulled my knees to my chest and exhaled. "Now you tell me yours. Where is Percy?"

"We don't know exactly." Nico's statement caught me by surprise.

"Have you heard anything about him these last two weeks?" I tried.

My four guests looked at each other, hesitating to answer my question.

My mentor heaved a sigh before meeting my eyes. "Thalia, Percy killed Sally and Paul last week. He's gone rogue."

 **The End of Book Four**

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 **A/N-If any one actually read this in one sitting, I'm proud of you. I always feel the need to apologize when I write hella long chapters but I'm like wait a sec, I'm not forcing you to read this. I wanted to split this chapter but I couldn't find a good place to stop it so I didn't lol. I will explain everything in my following A/N-if you're new to this series, I do a really long A/N after the last chapter of the book. I let you know what's happening in the next book, I might do a sneak peek, let you know when the next book comes out. The A/N will be up tomorrow morning most likely, I'm still deciding on a few things. Thanks so much for reading, I had a blast writing this story and I'll see you guys soon!**


	12. AN 1

**A/N-Hey guys! Another book down, another A/N coming up! So let's start with the stats: Today is Jan.2.2017 and this story (not including this A/N and the one after it) has 114, 347 words. Baby Zeus, that is two novels-the standard novel is at least 50k-and a little over. That makes this my longest story to date-that's insane. Okay, I'm going to try to guess the word count for the last book right now: 150-200k words. Alright, future me, hopefully I'm right and that I remember to check this. There are 11 chapters (Not including these last two A/Ns) 47 reviews, 9, 122 views, 50 favs, and 76 alerts. I really like when the favs, alerts, and reviews are around the same number. It shows consistency and I really appreciate it. I know I don't say thanks for sticking with this series enough but I really do love seeing yall's reviews and thoughts on how the story is going. And as long as you continue reading, I will continue writing. Let's get into some questions you may have!**

* * *

 **WHERE THE TARTARUS HAVE YOU BEEN THESE LAST UPDATES?!**

Okay, normally I would give the old excuse of being 'busy' but I will tell you where I've been. If you're wondering what I'm talking about, I wasn't updating between the months of October, November, and most of December with the exception of a few sparse updates here and there. Well, I was writing a book. That wasn't for fanfic, it was original fic. November is Nanowrimo- national novel writing month. So it's basically a world wide challenge when authors commit to writing 50k in the month of November. I highly suggest you look them up, it's an entire organization and everything. I spent the month of October prepping for the story and spent November writing it. This was my first year and if you're wondering why I didn't do it when I had time-like after finishing this series-that's because Nanowrimo has really good resources. You're not alone doing it and you can track your stats and get inspiration, pep talks and it's free. Because this is my last year in highschool, I wanted to make sure I could do a major that involves writing when I went off to college. Sure I can write fanfic but I'm using characters that have already been developed. I wanted to see if I could create a world and characters on my own so I figured, worse case scenario I waste a month of my life instead of years of writing a book. Anyway, I wrote 50k in a month (1,667 words a day) and I was so scarred that I didn't write for the first half of december. I'm not actually done with my novel, I wrote 35k of it, got tired of it so I started writing that last chapter of Chosen and combined it to make 50k.

Here's the summary of my novel if you care: _The government has created a test that detects potential future murderers. Those who test positive are sent to a deserted island to fend for themselves._

Aaron Sinclair was living a normal life, ready for the next adventure to turn up at his doorstep, that is, until the government sent him to the island. Within the blink of an eye, Aaron's life turns upside down as those he thought were foes become friends and friends become foes. As he searches for a way to escape the island, he grasps onto one good thing: Calypso, a girl with secrets and the weight of the world on her shoulders. Together, they must fight a system that has oppressed them and decide who to trust along the way. As buried secrets come to light, their lives are intertwined with peril and one of them will pay the ultimate price for justice.

So ya...that's where I've been and I'm insane because I'm doing camp Nano in April. Same gist as Nanowrimo but you set your own word count goal to complete in a month and I have no idea whether I'll work on my novel or another project. I could also do a fanfic but we'll see. And yes, I named one my characters Calyspo. No, she is nothing like the PJO version of Calypso. I tried so hard to find another name but nothing else felt right. It was an ordeal for me haha.

 **Okay, enough about you: what's happening in the next book?**

Nothing. Nothing's happening because I'm not continuing the series. I really loved writing the characters and their stories but all good things must come to end. I'm currently looking for someone to adopt the series and I think I found someone that will really do the characters justice.

SIKEEE!

Admit it, you fell for it! You would have to pry my cold, dead fingers from my laptop in order to get me to give up this almost 6 year (holy crap) series. That wasn't nice, I'm sorry. I've been toying with y'all alot lately. With the whole Thalia falling into tartarus, then separating her and Percy after five minutes of them reuniting. It's all in good fun, don't worry about it. So back to the question, this is pretty obvious but we're about to see a darker version of Percy. We left off with Chiron saying that he had killed his mom and Paul so we're going to pick up around that same area. The next book is dual pov, both Percy and Thalia so there's a time skip because we have to get closer to December and we left off in March. We have to get to December because that's Percy's bday (reminder: I changed it from canon) and the whole titans v. gods showdown happens. The opening chapter will be a flashback of when he killed Sally and Paul so we will see that. I'm still teterring on how I want this darker version of Percy to view Thalia. Like when Chiron said Percy went rogue, the guy went _rogue._ He's not going to be like oh I was technically forced to serve Kronos but I'm lowkey going to help out my friends. No, no, no-Percy we know is pretty much gone. It's his nature and even Thalia will have a hard time breaking through it-if she even does. So expect the majority of the next book to be dark Percy. I haven't started writing yet but he's going to be even more sarcastic, borderline threatening and insane. The thing is, he doesn't fit in at camp and although he's anti Kronos, he can't help but feel comfortable with the titans because of his nature. I think that's what's keeping him there.

That being said, Thalia will be trying to bring him to the right side. I won't say that Percy doesn't care for her anymore but he's not as in love with her. Kronos won't kill her because that would kill Percy. A part of him will always love her, but the deeper he gets into the titan business, that part will be increasingly small. Their relationship is definitely on the rocks but we'll see where it takes us. Thalia will be preparing herself to eventually fight him and I'll touch on who died on the labyrinth, Katie, Beckendorf all that btw. Don't worry, I didn't forget. Annabeth will be off with the hunt so Thalia will be on her own trying to deal with the impending war, her boyfriend going rogue, and trying to be a leader. Tyson, Grover, and Nico will appear as well. But ultimately, this story is probably going to write itself and we'll see where it take us.

 **What's not happening?**

Off the top of my head, I think the next book is going to very loosely related to the Last Olympian. The great prophecy has to be molded to fit the story and I'm wokring on that which changes most of the story. Ummm that's all I can think of right now.

 **Updating schedule?**

I learned alot from doing nanowrimo and one of them being writing everyday even when I'm not inspired to. I usually either write when I feel like it or I cram all my writing on friday in order to get it up on saturday which doesn't produce the best results. I will have so much more time these coming months because I'm done with all my college apps, I quit this really demanding extra circular and took a study hall instead, and I'm done with this one semester class that had me dying and sleep deprived like everyday. So I don't really have any excuses for not updating regularly.

I'm switching the schedule: Weekly updates on sundays and once I get the motion of writing from Percy's pov, it'll be twice a week updates. Probably Tuesday and sundays. I think that even if I don't write at least a few scenes every day, that schedule will work best for me. I could write the entire chapter on friday, edit saturday, post sunday.

 **When is the next fic coming out?**

January 15th! Less than two weeks from now. I create an entire outline during that time so now is the time to bring up any suggestions if you have any. I won't do everything but within reason, I probably can. So follow me as an author if you want to be notified immediately. If not, I will post another A/N on this story the day of that says to go check out the next one.

Without further ado, here is the summary for the fifth and final book of the Child of Time series.

Summary for the Child of Time: Destined.

The fate of humanity is doomed now that Percy Jackson, a son of Kronos and the child of the Great Prophecy, has joined his titan father. He cares for nothing and no one, not even the girl he once would've burned down the world for.

Thalia knows that with time, she can reach Percy but time is running out and the lines between good and bad have blurred. The world is crumbling around her, and she may have to give up Percy in order to ensure the survival of the Olympians and mankind.

This isn't the real summary, it's probably too long but off the top of my head, it's what I came up with. I don't have a scene because I don't feel like writing one. Sorry! So yeah, thanks for reading my rambles and I'll see you guys in a few weeks.

-Perctjacksonfan16!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N-Hey guys! If you're reading this it means that the fifth and final book in the Child of Time series is out! So go to my profile and click on the Child of Time: Destined. I will now mark this fic as completed but feel free to leave reviews, favs, and follows if you'd like.**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **-Percyjacksonfan16!**


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